


Sharp Addiction

by DeviantXen



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: BAMF Klaus Hargreeves, Bisexual Diego Hargreeves, Bromance, Brotherly Love, Comic Powers, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Diego Wants to be a Detective, Drug Addiction, Drug Withdrawal, Fluff and Angst, Ghost Ben Hargreeves, Hand Jobs, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Whump, Klaus is Harassed by Dead People, M/M, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Romance, Semi-Competent Mystery, Sick Klaus Hargreeves, Slow Burn, So. Much. Sass., Stuttering Diego Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:53:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 81,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27192709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeviantXen/pseuds/DeviantXen
Summary: Superheroes are a bust and Diego is done with the Academy. He wants out and he wants Klaus with him. In exchange for a new apartment and a new life, Diego makes a deal that he’s sure he’ll later regret. Regardless, the Kraken and the Séance are ready to become students and finally taste the sweetness of freedom. Except things aren’t going to be quite so easy as they thought, as their own addictions come back to haunt them and they soon find that they can’t run away from their own upbringing.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 32
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

The world didn’t need superheroes anymore. Not that it really needed them to begin with. It had been four years since the Hargreeves children hit their celebrity peak. When the superhero fad died down. When they outgrew the whole ‘fighting crime in a school uniform’ thing. When they decided that maybe Sir Reginald Hargreeves had been _lying_ to them. The moment Ben died; they were all hit with the sudden realization about their own mortality. That having superpowers didn’t make them indestructible. Nor did it make their life more important than anyone else’s. Since then the team spirit had basically burnt out into nothing but dwindling embers.  
  
It was about time Diego Hargreeves made a change. Get out of this stupid Academy and make a goddamn life for himself. He wanted to play by his own rules for a change. Exact justice in a way that didn’t have dear old Dad written all over it.  
  
“I’m going to do it,” Diego declared, catching the of the knife he’d been absently tossing in his hand and bringing it back to its sheath. Klaus, who was currently sprawled across the sofa on his stomach, half propped up by his elbows, and with his chin resting between both his tattooed palms, lit up as he next spoke, “You’re actually going to let me shoot you to see if you can deflect bullets?”  
  
Diego blinked, having only been half aware of the fact that his brother had both been staring and having a one-sided conversation with him the entire time he’d been lost in thought.  
  
"What? No? Of course not. That’s dangerous, Klaus.” Diego was fairly certain he couldn’t manage such a feat and didn’t feel like willingly testing that theory.  
  
Klaus clicked his tongue and scrunched up his face in dissatisfaction, muttering under his breath, “Killjoy.”  
  
“No. I mean I’ve decided I want to go to college.”  
  
“ _Oh?”_ Klaus’ attention sprung to life along with his posture, which was now bolt upright.  
  
“Was thinking I could convince Dad to let me go. I could probably persuade him into letting me study criminology, that way I could still at least do the whole hero thing. Just in a more legal manner. Become a detective or something, y’know?” Diego gave a non-committal shrug, as if to pretend that he hadn’t spent the last month thinking about this whole idea in great detail, while also trying to build up the courage to actually confront his stickler of a father about it.  
  
“Take me with you, pleeeaaase?” Klaus clasped his hands together, unashamedly begging. “You know I hate this place.”  
Diego raised an eyebrow. “Bro, you and college is like a recipe for disaster. Isn’t that like drug central? I’d basically be an enabler.”  
  
“Diego, we live like two streets away from where I frequently buy molly.”  
  
“Point taken. Besides, when have you ever been interested in education?”  
  
“Please, you used to copy _my_ redundantly named homework, remember?”  
  
“Yeah, and it was always wrong.”  
  
“Hey, I never said I was good at math. Or science. Or music for that matter. Though I suppose I was rather good at playing the bongos. And the triangle. But does that really count? I mean you just have to like, hold it, and–”  
  
“We’re getting off topic,” Diego said, interrupting Klaus’ tangent. If there was one thing that his brother could do, it was _talk._  
  
“Yeah, what were we conversing about again?”  
  
“College.”  
  
“Oh yeah. That. You have to let me come with you, Diego. I hate it here. My only other option would be to run away, but if I do that, I’ll just end up selling my beautiful body on the streets for drugs. You wouldn’t want that would you, my kind, caring brother?”  
  
"You’re a manipulative little shit, did you know that?” Diego shook his head, amused by Klaus’ utter shamelessness. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about just asking Klaus to tag along. The idea had occurred to him, plenty of times, in fact, he just wanted to see the lengths his idiot brother would go into convincing him. “You can be honest with me, Klaus. The truth is, you’d miss me, wouldn’t you?”  
  
“Miss you?” Klaus looked aghast. “Bold of you to assume I enjoy your company.”  
  
“Oh, you don’t, do you? Who else here puts up with your antics, huh? Allison? And who else here lets you crawl into their bed at night after you’ve had a nightmare? Luther?”  
  
“If I could even manage to crawl into Luther’s bed it would be a miracle in itself,” Klaus commented, offhand. The fact was: Klaus came to him for everything. Always had. And Diego had always given in. He had lost count of the amount of times he had spontaneously driven the man around the city because he was craving waffles, or tacos, or whatever the fuck menudo was. Or the amount of times he’d had to entertain Klaus due to what he referred to as ‘crippling boredom’.

“Basically, you’re screwed without me and you know it,” Diego said.  
  
“You’re right oh mighty Kraken, so please take me on this grand venture of yours, or else I shall drown in this sea of loneliness and despair.”  
  
Diego rolled his eyes at Klaus’ excessive theatrics before finally giving into the decision he’d already made long before he’d started this conversation, “All right, you can join me. But we still have to convince Dad.”  
  
“ _We?_ Uh-uh.” Klaus shook his head, adamant. “Dear papa never listens to me, for I am his ‘greatest disappointment’.” Diego always hated it when Reginald called him that, like it was somehow Klaus’ fault that he was scared of ghosts. That it was abnormal for him to react in fear to being locked inside a mausoleum with nothing but the wailing of corpses for company. Even now just the thought of it had him clenching his fists.  
  
“Fine, I’ll do all the convincing on my own. You just stay here and do whatever the fuck it is you do,” Diego said.  
  
  
Hovering outside the office of Sir Reginald Hargreeves was similarly as daunting for Diego as it was when he was just a kid. The only difference being, was that he now had the confidence to knock. After three assertive raps to the door, he was beckoned inside by the sharp voice of his father.   
“Number Two, why is it you have decided to interrupt me during my work?” Reginald questioned, not taking his eyes off the papers scattered about his desk.  
  
Diego straightened his posture, and pressed his hands behind his back, ready to confront his strict parent with his intentions.  
  
“I have a proposition I’d like to make,” he said, maintaining his poise almost flawlessly, despite the cold shiver that crawled up his spine.  
  
“And that would be?” Diego could hear the disinterest in his father’s voice, like he already expected him to waste his time with frivolous notions.  
  
“I want to attend college and study criminology.”  
  
Reginald paused briefly in his scribbles and adjusted his monocle. “And why is that Number Two?”  
  
Diego took a moment to collect his thoughts, knowing that would he said would have to be clear, concise, and critical. “This whole superhero thing is kinda a bust and I _want_ to continue to help people. Getting a degree means I can go onto working for the law. You’ve always brought us up to help those in need and this is a legitimate way I can do that.”  
  
“I see.” Reginald seemed to ponder the notion briefly. “Your proposal has been granted Number Two, so long as you continue to hone your unique skillset. Anything else?”  
  
A brief flash of relief washed through Diego along with the urge to fist pump, which was luckily well hidden by his body. “I would request that Kla – Number Four – attend with me.”  
  
This caught Reginald’s attention. He lay down his extravagant fountain pen and glanced up at Diego, eyes narrow and calculating. “And why would I permit the attendance of Number Four, who poisons his body daily, to such a place where his sickening habits will be encouraged?”  
  
“Because…” Diego trailed off as he tried to think of an answer that would appease his father and get the desired outcome. “Because I will keep him in line. You know out of all of us here, he listens to me more than anyone else.”  
  
“That is perhaps true, Number Two,” Reginald said. The silence that followed was enough to make Diego sweat, as his father continued to contemplate with cold eyes that were pointed right at him. He knew he was being analyzed. Sir Reginald Hargreeves was working out if he did indeed have the potential to keep a chaotic Klaus Hargreeves in check, a feat that no one had yet to achieve. “My decision is this, Number Two, I will allow both you and Number Four to attend a college of my choice and study whatever it is you please, so long as both of you continue to work on sharpening your powers. I will require an update every semester of your progress and in return I will more than generously fund your escapade and pay for all expenses.”  
  
Diego swallowed thickly at the offer. It was a tremendous deal and he knew that, but the problem was Klaus _hated_ using his powers. He was terrified of them. Always had been. It was what drew him into the life of substance abuse in the first place, being the lesser of two evils in his own mind. But getting away from their father would be good for the both of them, a chance to live their own lives, make friends and just _experience_ the world. And Diego would be lying if he didn’t want Klaus to get clean. He’d been through enough gut-wrenching overdoses since Klaus started on the hard stuff to never want to face the terror of almost losing another brother again. And he would also be lying if he said that he didn’t desperately want Klaus with him. He may have been a lone wolf, but Klaus was fucked up pup he had agreed to take care of. Because if he didn’t, who else would?  
  
“I agree to these terms,” Diego stated, firmly.  
  
“Number Four will now be your responsibility. You will prove your leadership qualities as my Number Two. If he should fail, you both will be escorted back home, understood?”  
  
“Understood.”  
  
  
With that, he left Reginald Hargreeves to continue with his work, and with both a heavy heart and a boatload of the enthusiasm returned to the lounge to inform Klaus of the man’s decision.  
  
“Soooo how’d it go?” Klaus questioned, tapping the cushion in front of him in an impatient drum roll.  
  
“Well I have good news and bad news,” Diego said, arms crossed over his chest.  
  
“Hmmm. I’ll take the good news first,” Klaus declared, after a brief moment’s thought.  
  
“Well the good news is that Dad has agreed to let us go,” he replied.  
  
“That’s awesome!” Klaus let out an exuberant laugh and turned towards the empty armchair across the room with a smug grin. “Told you.”  
  
“But the bad news is that he stipulated that both of us must continue to practice using our powers…”  
  
Like a switch had been turned, Klaus’ enthusiasm came to a grinding halt. His energy shrank back into himself and his delighted smile was promptly replaced by a bitter expression and accompanied by a disheartened sigh. “Of course. Dear old Dad only cares about my truly delightful powers that I have been woefully neglecting due to the fact that they drive me insane.” With a graceful, yet dramatic flair, Klaus collapsed back onto the old cushions and lay staring up at the ceiling. Diego moved from his spot and rested his arms over the back of the settee so he could lean over and disrupt Klaus’ field of vision.  
  
“You don’t have to agree, you can stay here if you want,” he said, somewhat reluctantly.  
  
Klaus shook his head and waved his hand as if to shoo the idea away. “Diego, it takes more than the threat of sobriety to discourage me from wanting to get the hell away from Dad. He’s worse than both the drugs _and_ the ghosts combined.”  
  
“So, does that mean you’re coming?” Diego didn’t mean for that to come out sounding so hopeful.  
  
“Of course I’m coming. It’s always been my dream to wear a sarong to a fraternity party. I bet I can get a shit load of numbers.”  
  
Diego rolled his eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Sir Reginald has chosen for them a prestige college in an upper-class district, nothing short of what Diego would have expected from the man. From outside eyes, one would think they were just being spoilt by a filthy rich father. But in reality, Reginald probably had some kind of ulterior motive for picking such a place. Perhaps it was built on some Native Indian Burial Ground to torture Klaus or was close to some kind of crime syndicate that Diego would inevitably have to sort out. Either way it was ‘nice’ of him to arrange for them to rent an apartment on the edge of campus instead of leaving them to the dormitories. Again, likely ulterior motive. The further Klaus was away from the students, the further away he was from the dealers and negative influencers.  
  
Key in hand, Diego unlocked the door to the place he and his brother would be residing for, hopefully, the next four years. As soon as the lock gave way, Klaus was bounding inside, completely ignorant of the sharp insult he received upon knocking Diego out of the way.  
  
"Look at all this space!” he announced, holding out his arms to further articulate his excitement. The place was modest, furnished a tasteful industrial with a natural colour palette. A small kitchen was attached to the open plan living room that also dubbed as a dining area with bar counter and stools.  
  
Diego scanned the area with little interest, not really caring much for the décor. So long as he had a comfy place to take a load off and a place to sleep, he was good. Klaus, naturally, gravitated towards the bathroom and his gasp of delight told Diego everything he needed to know.  
  
“There’s a claw foot tub, Diego! Maybe Dad loves me a little after all.”  
  
“I wouldn’t hold your breath,” Diego said, cracking a small grin at is brother’s enthusiasm. If there was one thing in the world that made Klaus happy (that wasn’t chemical), it was a good bubble bath. Back at home, it was always easy to tell when Klaus had taken one, as the bathroom always smelt sickeningly sweet afterwards and the floor would always be flooded with soap suds and bathwater. It was a miracle that the moat never caused any accidents, well, after the first time at least. But as it was Klaus himself who had the accident, so no one really complained.  
  
“Let’s see the bedrooms!” Klaus declared, shooting towards the two other rooms next door to each other. He opened out the first one, hummed to himself, and then checked the second one. “I want this one, it has more wardrobe space.”  
  
“Fine by me,” Diego replied, dumping his belongings on the bed of the unclaimed room. He’d never had a double bed all to himself before. At least with this, when the inevitable eventually happened and Klaus would climb in to join him, there would be enough room for the both of them without any uncomfortable squishing.  
  
Before he had much chance to unpack and half-heartedly toss his clothes into the dresser, Diego was again met with the view of Klaus, this time leaning against the doorframe with a notable impatience that required immediate attention.  
  
“What now?” he sighed, promptly giving up on his task.  
  
“Can we go shopping for décor? There is just not enough colour to suit my taste. I want to live somewhere that expresses who I am as a person.”  
  
“Chaotic, gaudy and insane?”  
  
Klaus’ jaw dropped and he dramatically held a hand over his heart in mock offense. “How dare you call me _gaudy_! I am tasteful.”  
  
“Klaus you’re wearing sequins. And a crop top that literally says, ‘daddy’s little slut’.” Diego deadpanned. He would probably be embarrassed by his brother’s garish sense in fashion if he weren’t so used to it. But he did at least respect that about Klaus, he was always unashamedly himself when it came to how he presented to the world.  
  
“Well, I wouldn’t want anyone to get the _right_ idea about me. Best be honest,” Klaus replied, shooting Diego a cheeky wink. “Anyways, Diego. Shopping?”  
  
“We have a meeting with the dean in an hour,” Diego informed him, much to Klaus’ glaringly obvious disappointment, that involved a pout and sunken shoulders. “But afterwards, I suppose we could scout out the town and maybe buy a few things. I checked the budget Dad gave us. I think he added an extra zero.”   
  
Back to beaming, Klaus twirled on the spot. “Wonderful!” he sung. “I’m going to make this place look _in-cred-di-ble_.”   
  
“If you say so.”  
  
  
After Diego managed to convince Klaus to put on a top that showed off less skin and wasn’t so blatantly vulgar, the pair headed towards the dean’s office, which resided in the central building on the campus grounds.  
  
“Let me do most the talking, all right?” Diego said, fist hovering over the mahogany door, ready to knock.  
  
“Whatever you say, Number Two,” Klaus replied, with a mocking salute. Diego fought the urge to roll his eyes. He knew his brother had virtually no filter, and he wanted to at least _attempt_ to make a good first impression. With that in mind, he placed three confident raps on the hardwood, and entered when a voice called him inside.  
  
Dean Ramirez was strangely young for what Diego imagined for someone in his position. He was a fairly tall and well-built man with auburn hair and a clean-shaven jawline. Wearing a pristine suit and a charismatic smile, he held out his hand upon greeting.   
  
“You must be Diego Hargreeves,” he said.  
  
Diego nodded as they firmly shook hands, “A pleasure to meet you."  
  
Ramirez turned his curious gaze towards his other hovering guest. “And you must be Klaus.”  
  
“The one and only,” Klaus said in response, turning down the offer of a handshake in favour of a ridiculous curtsy. Diego half wanted to whack his brother round the head, but really, Klaus was just being quintessential Klaus and there was little point in hiding that.   
  
“I have to admit I am a big fan of both you and your siblings. To think, the Kraken and the Séance are here studying in my college,” Ramirez said, taking a step back as if to take them both in.  
  
“Yeah well, we don’t really do that superhero stuff anymore,” Diego said, a little curt. He was never a big fan of the whole fame thing. It was entirely overrated.  
  
“Of course not. But that was not why I admired you.”  
  
“Oh? Do tell,” Klaus said, perching himself on the edge of the dean’s desk, instead of taking the seat opposite like a normal person. His hand went to fiddle with the small bowl of sweets, but a sideward glare from Diego stopped it in its tracks.   
  
“I was a psychology major and the situation of your home life fascinated me. What it would be like to grow up as seven siblings, six with unique gifts, living under the authority of the eccentric Sir Hargreeves who had you all trained to be the perfect soldiers.”  
  
“You make it sound so impressive,” Diego remarked, tasting the bitterness of his words on his tongue. Nothing about their lives had been easy. Luther now suffered from crippling daddy issues, he himself had what everyone else would call a ‘hero complex’, Allison spends her time in her own fantasy that she created, Klaus is the world’s most self-destructive junkie, Five vanished off the face of the Earth, Ben died a violent death, and Vanya, well she was cast to the side and excluded from the family almost entirely. To put it mildly, their lives _sucked._  
  
“No actually, I thought it was barbaric. You were just children,” Ramirez corrected.  
  
“Well, that was an unexpected view of our delightful past trauma and tragedy,” Klaus commented. “You just might be the first person we’ve ever met that didn’t buy into the bullshit charade.”  
  
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Ramirez said, with a hint of a smile. “Regardless, I have more formal matters that I need to discuss with you.”  
  
“Go on,” Diego urged, having to discreetly kick Klaus in the shin when he went to play with the stack of very important looking folders piled on the desk.  
  
“Sir Hargreeves has personally informed me of both your circumstances and I ask that you both try to keep your heads down as much as possible. I value the reputation of this college and I would prefer to maintain its image as a high-caliber institute of learning.”  
  
“So basically you don’t want us to show off,” Diego concluded. _Or get into fights. Or be caught tripping balls,_ he mentally added.  
  
“Well that’s fine by me. I prefer it when the dead stay as far away from me as humanly possible,” Klaus added, before steering his gaze towards the empty chair. “Well, I wouldn’t mind if you disappeared too sometimes, actually. Your desire to knit-pick everything I do is quite frankly, annoying.”  
  
Ramirez glanced from Klaus to Diego with a confused look, “Is he…?”  
  
“Just ignore him.” Diego waved off the dean’s concern, as the Séance continued to appear to have a conversation with himself. In all honesty, Diego didn’t feel explaining to the man that he wasn’t just enrolling _two_ of the Hargreeves siblings. Ben’s attachment to the mortal realm was something the family had agreed to keep hidden, especially because of the small measure of skepticism about the whole thing. After all, it was hard to believe in something you couldn’t see, and Klaus was never the most reliable of sources (although Diego had given him the benefit of the doubt). Nevertheless, there was something both comforting and sad about believing that Ben was still with them, watching over them all like a guardian angel.  
  
“Right… Well I’ve said everything I wanted to say. I prefer to keep my meetings both brief and to the point. But I must say, it was an honour to meet you both, and I look forward to seeing some glistening grades.”  
  
“That’s sounds like a lot of pressure,” Klaus whined, having switched back to the conversation of the living.   
  
“I like to believe you both have undiscovered potential in the academics department, it’s part of my job.” Ramirez chuckled.  
  
  
Meeting over, it took a grand total of eleven seconds for Klaus to start dragging Diego’s sorry ass through campus and towards the car they had parked outside their apartment.  
  
“You know it really sucks that you can’t drive,” Diego grumbled, starting up the engine with a crank of the key. It wasn’t that Klaus didn’t know _how_. It was that he had his license revoked after causing two (thankfully non-fatal) accidents. The first time Klaus had apparently swerved upon seeing what he thought was a kid playing on the street. Only to realize afterwards that the kid had half his head already missing. The second, Klaus was so high on LSD that he drove straight into a tree without even noticing. From that point on, Diego had (begrudgingly) agreed to be his designated carpool.  
  
“Yeah, well, it sucks that I can see dead people,” Klaus replied, kicking his feet up onto the dashboard – clearly having no trust issues with Diego’s driving skills. Or at least, was past the point of giving a shit.  
  
“Touché.” Diego couldn’t exactly argue with that. If what Klaus could see was even remotely close to the crap he’d seen in horror movies then – _ugh_ – he didn’t even want to imagine it.   
  
“So… the dean seems nice,” Klaus commented, after a few uncomfortably long minutes of silence.  
  
“You thought he was hot, didn’t you?” Diego replied, not taking his eyes off the road, especially as he spied a sign for what appeared to be a shopping centre just up north.  
  
“Well… I suppose he was kinda my type.”  
  
“Your type is pretty flexible.”  
  
Klaus opened his mouth, astonished. “Are you accusing me of being _easy_ , Diego?”  
  
Diego shrugged. “No need to accuse when I know it’s true.”  
  
“How dare you! I like to think I have at least _some_ standards.” With a playfully indignant huff, Klaus crossed his arms over his chest, which only caused Diego to grin.  
  
“Oh yeah? Such as?”  
  
“Well, for one, I wouldn’t sleep with anyone who wears socks with sandals.”  
  
“What about cargo shorts?”  
  
“Not a deal breaker. Depends if the rest of them is at least above a seven.”  
  
“And where exactly do I fit on the scale?” Diego wasn’t sure why he asked, but he did. Even more confusing was how the anticipation of the answer had him clutching the steering wheel.  
  
“You? Hmm…” Klaus drew out his thought process with a cheerful hum and a lingering gaze that had Diego suppressing a shiver. “You’re a solid nine and half. But please, please, please don’t ever wear cargo shorts.”  
  
“Hey, why only nine and half? I’m pretty sure I’m a straight up ten,” Diego argued.  
  
Sexy Latino heritage. _Check_.  
Gorgeous toned abs. _Check._   
Super-hot smile. _Check._  
  
“Because you unironically wear that domino mask. Makes you look like a prick,” Klaus said.  
  
Diego laughed; despite the fact he was starting to feel unsure about this whole conversation. Although he was playing it off as one big joke, it still made his heart hammer a little more than it probably should have done. “What? You not into that?”  
  
The question never received an answer as Klaus’ attention had already shifted. Like a moth to a flame, he was gawking up at the shopping mall that had just come into view, already squirming in his seat with excitement. Knowing that the conversation prior was now nothing but a fleeting memory, Diego pulled up into the parking lot in one swift motion. Pinpoint accuracy was one of his most exceptional skills, even with things like driving.  
  
  
Shopping with Klaus was as nightmarish as Diego had anticipated. Being dragged round from store to store by a flamboyant hummingbird desiring every shiny object that caught his eye to build his metaphorical nest with was, in essence, frustrating as fuck. Before long they had managed to stock pile a mountains worth of cushions (ranging from pink and fluffy, to rainbow jewel encrusted), about three lava lamps (which Diego supposed were kinda cool), an Olympic sized swimming pool’s length worth of fairly lights (Diego may have been exaggerating), a psychedelic rug (that looked as high as Klaus) and a whole bunch of other knit-knacks that Diego, in all honestly, thought looked tacky. But all in all, Klaus looked extremely proud of his haul as they somehow managed to stuff it all into Diego’s car.  
  
“Well, that is three hours of my life I’m not getting back,” Diego sighed, slamming the trunk down and pretending to wipe the sweat from his brow.  
  
“Ahhh come on! It was fun.” Klaus followed his brother’s lead and leant against the vehicle, fiddling with the sleeve of his faux fur coat.  
  
“For you maybe. I was the one who had to carry all this shit.”  
  
Klaus shrugged. “You’re the one with the muscles.”  
  
“Maybe you’d have some too, if you hit the gym once in a while–” Diego watched his brother open his mouth to comment, but before any words came out he continued, “—And I don’t mean to just gawk at guys working out.”  
  
“Diego please, I have more class than that. If I wanted to watch a guy get sweaty, I’d have him rail me in a sauna.”  
  
“Thanks for that graphic imagery.” Diego frowned, somewhat disgusted. But also somewhat intrigued. “Also, that sounds extremely uncomfortable.”  
  
“Don’t knock it till you try it, Di.” Klaus smirked at him, all to mischievous. Diego didn’t particularly want to imagine all the weird ass places his brother had probably had sex. His lack of shame meant that basically any place was a viable option, at any time. “Can we go someplace to eat? My stomach is a rumblin’.”  
  
“Whatcha fancy?” It was tradition that Klaus always picked the place. He was a shockingly picky eater, and also prone to sulking if he didn’t get his own way.  
  
“Someplace that serves waffles. I’m craving raspberries and maple syrup,” Klaus replied.  
  
“I think I spotted a diner somewhere nearby, let’s go look for it, yeah?”  
  
  
Diego’s sense of direction didn’t fail him as he quickly found the place he had subconsciously mapped to memory. It was a quaint little joint tucked away near the entrance to the shopping centre, that was currently scarcely populated.  
  
Klaus located a booth seemingly at random and gracefully plonked himself into the shiny red seat, where he proceeded to pluck a menu from the stand. Diego slid in opposite and did the same, briefly scanning over the options before settling on what he believed to be the healthiest choice. Unlike Klaus, he treated his body as if it were a temple.  
  
The waitress spotted them quickly, and came over with a notepad to scribble down their order before disappearing again.  
  
Klaus, being Klaus, took one of the colouring placemats, and began doodling on it with the provided crayons, exhibiting a shocking amount of concentration.   
  
“You know they’re meant for kids, right?” Diego couldn’t help but snort. It was almost endearing, watching the way Klaus would crinkle his nose as if it helped him focus.   
  
“Yeah, yeah. I just want to get some practice in.”  
  
“Bit late to be learning to colour between the lines.”  
  
“You’re a dick,” Klaus muttered, giving him one hell of a glare. As of yesterday, Klaus was officially an art major, which was to be somewhat expected. Being the impish fidget he was, he’d had plenty of practice doodling cartoon images of their father in not-so-flattering circumstances over the years. He’d also discovered a fondness for graffiti-ing his bedroom walls, much to Reginald’s chagrin. But most his practice came from him drawing his nightmares in a feeble attempt to try and rid himself of them. Diego remembered finding his sketchpad once when they were kids, he’d been quite horrified to see the gruesome imagery that came straight from the darkest part of Klaus’ psyche. Regretfully, he imagined he’d been seeing a lot more of that kind of art in the future, when his brother’s nightmares came back.  
  
Klaus continued to work on his masterpiece until their meal was served. Upon seeing the plate of waffles, he abandoned his crayons for the likes of a fork and immediately dug right in. Diego nodded a quick thanks to the waitress and inspected his own food: an egg white omelette with vegetables. It looked decent enough. Better than what he could probably make himself at the very least, which wasn’t saying much, as his cooking skills left much to be desired.  
  
“How are the waffles?” Diego asked, impaling a slice of tomato.  
  
“They’re good,” Klaus replied, voice muffled by a mouth full of raspberries. He was never one for good table manners.  
  
“Klaus, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” Diego began, trying to meet his brother’s gaze head on – to demonstrate he was being serious. Klaus shied away from his penetrating brown eyes and swallowed hard enough that it caused him to choke. Coughing, he thumped himself on the chest, managing to dislodge whatever had gotten stuck, to allow him to finally speak, “If it’s about the drugs, I said I’d get clean, OK?”  
  
“You mean that?” Diego tried to remain hopeful, but it wouldn’t be the first time his brother had let him down in that department. Although he sympathized with Klaus to an extent, knowing that he wasn’t just chasing a high, but running away from a nightmare, there was still a limit to how much he could forgive when it came to his repeated relapses. And Diego knew he was getting near to that limit.  
  
“Yeah… I mean but there’s no rush, right? We’ve just got here and settling into new places is stressful and—"  
  
“Klaus.” Diego didn’t want to sit through all these excuses. Not again.  
  
“Yeah I know… I’ll _try_ , I promise.” The sincerity in his brother’s voice was genuine, and that was all he needed to hear.  
  
“And I promise to help you.” When it came down to it, there wasn’t anything Diego wouldn’t do for Klaus, including taking the brunt force of his cold-turkey meltdowns. Although there were better ways to get clean, Klaus was adamant that this was the only way that worked for him, ironically suiting his spectacularly dramatic personality.   
  
“Just give me a few days, all right?”  
  
“A few days,” Diego agreed.  
  
  
The rest of the meal went past in silence as Klaus quickly finished up and went back to his drawing, patiently awaiting his ride to finish as well. Diego wasn’t in much of a rush, pleasantly enjoying the current freedom he had. This was the first time he’d been majorly away from the Academy, and more importantly, his father. It was nice to be able to spend time with his favourite sibling, without any strings attached.   
  
“ _Aha!”_ Klaus let out a noise of delight. Diego cocked an eyebrow at his brother as he was presented with the fruits of Klaus’ labour. “This is for you.”  
  
With look of intrigue, he inspected the so called ‘art piece’ and frowned as he tried to work out what the ever-loving fuck he was staring at. It was some kind of artsy caricature piece of some human/animal hybrid carrying a boat load of boxes across a rainbow backdrop. For something that was done entirely in crayon, it wasn’t exactly bad.  
  
“So… what am I looking at here?” Diego questioned.  
  
“It’s you! Can’t you tell by the discount Robin mask?” Klaus laughed, curling his fingers around his own eyes as if to mimic the drawing – or more accurately, mock Diego.  
  
“OK, but why do I have a tail and ears?”  
  
“Because you’re my pack-donkey. And you’re also a jackass.”  
  
“Thanks. I’ll treasure it,” Diego muttered, sarcastically.


	3. Chapter 3

Getting settled into their new home took a good couple of days. Klaus had insisted on mass decorating, which Diego had been unfortunately been dragged into. Now every wall in the apartment was painted a different fucking colour because Klaus just couldn’t settle on which one he liked best. It was a disaster really; the whole place was a mishmash of hues that clashed as wildly as his and Klaus’ temperaments. The only room that hadn’t been given the _Pride_ makeover, was Diego’s own bedroom, which he was adamant on keeping plain. Though, Klaus had had the bright idea to get his little placemat framed and nailed to the wall above his bed, much to his annoyance. In retaliation, Diego may have carved the word ‘prick’ on the wall above Klaus’ bed with an arrow pointing down (fuck the deposit, wasn’t like they were paying for the apartment anyway).   
  
Klaus had also dragged his ass back to the mall as he had ‘conveniently’ forgotten to pick up some art supplies for the class he was supposed to be taking (Klaus’ priorities were always a mess). Although Diego figured out pretty quickly that his brother just really wanted to take a look in a vintage clothes shop that they had passed by the first time around. Klaus had bought himself a cropped turtleneck sweater from the women’s section that strangely suited him. Diego never really understood _why_ Klaus looked so good in literally anything he decided to wear (gender be damned), but he did.   
  
Yesterday had been a blast as Fresher’s week had started, and both he and Klaus had been eager to check out all the extra-curricular clubs, societies, and activities on offer. Diego had been tempted by a dance troupe but decided against it when he remembered that dancing was a guilty pleasure that he didn’t like to share with other people. Klaus had signed up for a slam poetry group because he thought, ‘why not?’ Though he wasn’t entirely sure he’d actually go to any of the performances. Diego did put his name down for boxing as it was a flexible club, that was more of ‘a turn up to burn some energy off type deal’ which he could get behind.   
  
All in all, it had been hectic. And things weren’t about to slow down either…  
  
  
“Diegooo, how do I look?” Klaus spun around on the spot to show off his choice in outfit. He was wearing the cropped sweater from the vintage store paired with a black sarong that showed off quite a bit of leg (and a delicate silver anklet). Around his neck were a bunch of talismans and adorning his fingers were a mismatch of elegant rings and jewel encrusted nails.   
  
“Like a classy slut,” Diego replied, after giving him a quick once over.   
  
“Perfect. That’s _exactly_ what I’m going for.”   
  
“You know you’re asking for trouble, right?”   
  
“Maybe I’m looking for trouble,” Klaus said, wiggling his eyebrows. Diego let out a sigh, knowing exactly what this meant. His brother was on the hunt to get laid. It looked like he was going to have to keep an extra watchful eye tonight, to make sure his brother’s standards didn’t drop _too_ low.   
  
“You’re at least wearing some form of underwear, right?” Diego questioned. He prayed to whatever God was listening that he was.   
  
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Klaus cracked a grin, then headed towards the mirror to apply a smudge of silver eyeshadow. Diego pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, already convinced that this night was going to end in disaster. Klaus must have noticed his unease, as he then answered, “I’m wearing a thong.”   
  
“Good enough.” He knew he was being a bit protective, but he couldn’t help it. The last thing he wanted was for Klaus to get groped by some sleazebag. Or end up with his genitals printed all over social media (though something told him Klaus would probably get a kick outta that). He knew he couldn’t exactly prevent his brother from making bad choices, but he could at least limit them somewhat.   
  
“Are you seriously going to wear that to the party?” Klaus then said, gesturing at Diego’s clothing with a judgemental frown.   
  
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Diego griped, defensive. There was nothing wrong with the outfit he chose; just a simple black tee with a pair of comfortable (also black) jeans.   
  
Klaus deadpanned. “You look like you’re about to commit burglary.”   
  
“So?” He didn’t see what the problem was.  
  
“Sheesh.” Klaus shook his head, grabbed a checkered scarf from where it dangled on the coat rack and proceeded to playfully loop it around his neck. “Sometimes I wonder how we’re related.”  
  
“We’re not,” Diego replied, deciding to not protest the new addition to his ensemble.   
  
“I know. But I like to think we are in spirit.” With that Klaus let out a playful hum and pranced towards the front door, which he opened with exaggerated flair. It seemed he was more than a little excited to be going to the frat party, which the idiot had somehow managed to charm his way into getting invited to. Even Diego had to admit, the Séance was quite charismatic when he put in the effort.   
  
“Aren’t you going to put on any shoes?” Diego questioned, noting his brother’s distinct lack of footwear.  
  
“Naaah. You know how much I like to go barefoot when given the opportunity. Plus, I don’t have any heels that really go with this outfit. And boots will just look tacky and—”   
  
“All right, all right.” Diego held up a hand to cut him off before he had chance to listen to some tedious rant about fashion. “Just don’t expect me to carry your sorry ass if you step on something sharp.”   
  
  
The frat house wasn’t hard to locate due to the boisterous atmosphere surrounding it. The whole building was lit up with strobe lights and emanating earth-shattering dance music. Across the front lawn were a bunch of students doing a keg stand, alongside a couple of jocks who were showing off to scantily dressed blonde girls that were drunkenly traipsing on the spot. Upon reaching the front door to the abode, Diego turned towards his brother.   
  
“Do you remember the ground rules?” he quizzed.   
  
“Yeah, yeah, I’m allowed to drink. But no pills, needles or snorting of any kind.” Klaus waved him off dismissively.  
  
“Good. I’ll be keeping watch.” Diego desperately wanted to trust him, but he knew full well that this party would be full of temptation and Klaus had abysmal self-control.   
  
“Just as long as you don’t scare away any possible suitors,” Klaus sighed, getting restless.   
  
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Actually, he would. If it were up to him, he’d be vetting any man that came within a ten-foot radius of Klaus to ensure that he was decent enough to treat his brother with sufficient respect. Nevertheless, that _wasn’t_ his job. And he had to remind himself of that.   
  
“Can we just like, head in now?” Klaus said, beyond impatient. Diego knocked on the door, which was promptly opened a few seconds later by one of the frat boys in a full football jersey and a beer in hand.   
  
“Eyyy Klaus, you made it!”   
  
“As if I would ever miss a party,” Klaus replied, matter-o-factly.  
  
“Hey, cool skirt, Bro.”  
  
“Thanks. I got it at a thrift store.”   
  
The frat boy nodded, took a swig of his drink, and then turned towards Diego. “Who’s the dude with the badass scars?”   
  
“This here, is my chaperone, who also just so happens to be my brother, Diego.”   
  
Diego stayed silent with his arms crossed as he watched the interaction unfold.   
  
“You got a brother? Nice.”  
  
“Actually, I have four brothers. And two sisters.”   
  
“Whoa. Big family.” The frat boy looked fascinated by that for the longest of seconds (probably due to how drunk he was), before his brain finally clicked back into gear and he stepped away from the entrance, gesturing for the pair to come inside.   
  
  
Diego had never been a fan of parties or raves or anything of the sort, so stepping into a raucous house filled to the brim with people dancing and flailing about really wasn’t something he associated with fun. Klaus however, appeared to be in his element. Hyped and ready to mingle, he had already snagged them both a red cup of what smelt like a mixture of really cheap booze and was already attracting an astonishing amount of attention. It was of no surprise really; he always did have this magnetic aura about him.   
  
“Hey Diego, lighten up. Have a drink. Rip off your shirt. Break dance. Just do something that makes you at least _appear_ to be having a good time,” Klaus encouraged, bumping their shoulders together.   
  
“This just ain’t my scene, OK?” Diego replied, cringing a little at the deafening sound of the music. He liked to be aware of exactly what was going on around him, which was hard to do with all the noise and disturbances.   
  
“Then why’d you come?” Klaus asked, right before downing the contents of his cup in three gulps and a cute wrinkling of his nose.   
  
“To ensure you don’t get into any trouble,” Diego answered, his own drink going untouched, as he continued to scan the room for any potential hazards.   
  
Klaus snorted, and Diego wasn’t sure if it sounded wry or not. “You know this whole ‘big brother’ routine is a little redundant. We’re both the exact same age.”  
  
“Yeah, but someone has to be responsible for you as you sure as hell aren’t responsible for yourself,” he said, immediately having to yank his oblivious brother away from the path of a stumbling drunk, which ironically just proved his point. Klaus seemed to relent against further argument and just put up his signature smile. At first, Diego thought it was because he had accepted the fact that he basically required a babysitter, but soon realized it was because Klaus had spotted something that ensnared his attention. Just a few feet away was a group of stoners passing round a couple of fat, juicy joints. Klaus immediately turned towards Diego and beseechingly pressed his hands together.   
  
“Can I join them, pleeeaaase? You never said anything about smoking. And weed is like a baby drug compared to what I’m used to. It’s barely even illegal.” Klaus fluttered his bright hazel eyes at him, looking about ready to drop to his knees and beg.   
  
Diego crossed his arms and regarded his brother for a moment. He knew how Klaus worked. If he said no, he’d do it anyway, may even seek out something stronger just to spite him. But if he allowed it, it was likely he’d just stick to the marijuana. “All right, fine. But if they offer you anything else, you better decline.”   
  
Klaus’ face lit up with glee and he made a beeline towards the group, to be instantly welcomed into the circle. Diego watched him for a moment, as he sat cross-legged on the floor and was handed one of the joints. He took a long drawn out drag from it, then a second, and then proceeded to pass it on. Now that Klaus was occupied, Diego wasn’t really sure what to do with himself. Unlike his brother, he didn’t really know anyone here. Combing his fingers through his short hair, Diego let out a sigh and began to actively seek out the quietest place he could find, that was still within eyeshot of his brother – just in case. That spot turned out to be a small couch tucked in the corner of the room, furthest away from the stereo system.   
  
Diego slumped further into the couch and glanced at the liquid inside his cup as it sloshed around. Although he was no stranger to a good beer to celebrate winning a fight, or a shot of whisky to steel his nerves when he had to receive stitches, he still, admittedly, was not much of a drinker. Despite that, this was still a party, and he knew he should at least _try_ to have a good time. Even if that meant drinking this vile concoction and suffering through the discomfort as it absolutely _burnt_ the back of this throat.   
  
“Pretty strong isn’t it?” a voice said. Diego turned towards the owner of said voice and was pleasantly surprised to see that it belonged to a rather attractive young woman. He must have been staring a little long because the next thing he knew, she was raising an eyebrow and trying to get his attention again. He cleared his throat, sat up straight, and put up what he hoped was a polite smile.   
  
“Hey, err, yeah.”  
  
“Mind if I sit?” she asked.  
  
“Sure.” He shuffled closer towards the edge of the small couch to give the lady room. After squeezing into the small space, she offered out her hand.  
  
“My names Patch by the way, and you are?”   
  
“Diego.” He accepted the offer of greeting and made a note of her strong grip.   
  
“You don’t look like much of the party going type,” she commented.   
  
“I’m not. I came here with my brother.”   
  
“Oh?”  
  
Diego pointed towards Klaus who was still right where he left him, except now he had migrated from sitting on the floor, to sitting on some dude’s lap. He was also currently making out with said dude in a rather sloppy fashion, much to Diego’s displeasure.   
  
“Ahh, I see. Yeah, he looks a lot more like a party animal.”  
  
“That’s an understatement,” Diego grumbled, crumpling the empty cup between his fingers. It really hadn’t taken his brother long to find someone willing to bone him. “What about you? You appear to be the only person here beside me who isn’t totally shitfaced.”  
  
“Same as you. Except I’ve lost track of my friend,” Patch replied. “Though I imagine she’s probably off engaging in the same activity that your brother currently is.”   
  
“Some people just don’t give a fuck about privacy,” he muttered, forcefully steering his gaze away from Klaus and his newest fuckbuddy. It would only rile him up if he continued to watch.   
  
“So, most people in college, then?” she joked.  
  
“Yeah.” Diego took a moment to calm himself and instead turned his full attention towards his newest acquaintance, whom he realized he could probably actually have a nice sane conversation with.   
  
“So, what are you majoring in?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.   
  
“Criminology. You?”  
  
“Ditto.”  
  
“What? Really?”   
  
She nodded, which prompted a legit, genuine smile out of him. He couldn’t help but felt strangely glad about that. He may have known this woman all of about two minutes, but something about her struck him in such a manner that he just _knew_ they’d end up hitting it off and becoming friends. With that thought in mind, Diego tossed the crushed plastic cup into the trash can – which was all the way across the other side of the room _and_ blocked by a moving crowd of dancers.   
  
“Wow. Impressive aim.”   
  
Diego grinned. “Yeah, I have a trick to it.”   
  
“You think you can teach me?”  
  
“It’s not really something I can teach. But I can, however, give another demonstration. If you want?” Unlike most his siblings, Diego never really minded showing off his powers. They may not have been as impressive as Five’s spacial jumps or Allison’s rumours, but they were still pretty cool in their own right.   
  
“I did spy a dart board about six feet in that direction.” Patch vaguely pointed towards the wall opposite, where, after a bit of searching, Diego managed to spot the board that was currently unoccupied.   
  
The pair headed over and snatched up the two sets of darts that were still stuck in the checkered slots, probably having been left over from the last game the thing had seen – which was a bad one, by the looks of it.   
  
“You plan on playing? Or just watching?” Diego asked, feeling the anticipation coursing through him to flaunt his gifts in a way that he hoped would impress his newfound friend.   
  
“Oh, I’m playing,” Patch replied. Her brown eyes flashed with confidence and Diego recognized a competitive tone when he heard one. After all, he grew up with six other siblings – one of which in particular was always trying to outshine him. Speaking of siblings, Diego glanced back towards where he’d left his brother, only to find that he’d moved on from the circle and was instead sharing an intimate dance with the dude he’d been making out with. Diego frowned when he saw where the other man’s hands were; obscenely groping his brother’s ass. _If he starts lifting up that skirt I swear to fucking God I’m gonna…_ Diego’s violent train of thought was interrupted as Patch touched him on the shoulder, swerving his attention and causing him to unclench his fists.   
  
“You seem quite protective,” she said, having noticed the object of his frustration.   
  
“I have a lot of siblings; he just so happens to the be the one without a shred of self-preservation. He also happens to be the one I care about the most.”  
  
“Well, from what I can see, he’s a full-grown man, capable of making his own decisions. And that guy he’s err… _dancing_ with. I went to school with him. He’s a bit of a meathead, but he’s not a bad dude.”  
  
Diego glanced back at Klaus, who despite his own misconceptions, appeared to be having a blast. Even from this distance he could tell he was giggling and enjoying the handsy attention. Diego had to remember that just because he didn’t like something, it didn’t mean Klaus shared that opinion. With that in mind, he let a calming sigh, and decided that maybe he could just take a break from being his brother’s babysitter.  
  
“All right then, let’s play. Ladies first.” He cockily gestured towards the board and stood watch with his arms crossed and a critical gaze. Patch took her spot and loosened up her wrist, concentrating with ferocity. Three swift throws later and she had a cumulative score of 128.  
  
“Hey, not bad,” Diego said, somewhat impressed. “Now I’ll show you how a pro does it.” He took his stance, aimed, and launched. One after the other the darts zipped through the air, each one landing in the triple twenty section.   
  
“Show off.”  
  
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Diego laughed, his expression the epitome of smug.   
  
“Heads up.” Patch motioned for him to turn around. Upon doing so, he was met with a slightly swaying Klaus, being held steady from behind by his current boytoy, who’s arms were wrapped tightly around his waist.  
  
“Heeeey, Brother,” Klaus hummed, giggling a little when hands began creeping up the fabric of his effeminate sweater. Diego felt his jaw harden but played it off as typical brotherly disgust. “Just wanted to let you know that me and… err… this stud muffin here are heading back to the apartment to do some super naughty things. So, you might wanna stay clear if you want your ears to maintain their virtue.”   
  
Diego gave the so called ‘stud muffin’ a speedy analysis, discerning that the blond jock strap seemed harmless enough, just drunk, and horny – much like his brother. Regardless, he shot the man a sharp look, a silent threat that told him if he so much as hurt Klaus in any way shape or form he would painfully end his life.   
  
“Just keep it in the bedroom, all right?” Diego said, sternly. “I don’t wanna be sitting on a couch that you’ve fucked on.”   
  
“Yeah, yeah, the precious couch will not be besmirched, scouts honour.” Klaus’ flippant salute marked their last interaction before his lithe figure was hauled away by a much larger frame. When his brother was completely out of sight, Diego let out another sigh, then turned his attention back towards Patch.  
  
“Right. Where were we?”  
  
“I believe you were in the middle of boasting.”   
  
Diego cracked a grin at that.  
  
  
A couple of hours went by in a flash, during which Diego continued to harness his skills for his own glory. Having performed many of his trick shots – like managing to swerve a dart around a stationary object, throwing while doing a backflip, and even firing off one shot while chugging a bottle of vodka, he’d managed to gain an audience. Every time he’d hit his mark, he’d received a cheer and a shit load of high fives. By the end of the night, most the party goers knew him by his new tag: bullseye. Being drunk as they were they never thought much of it, none of them seemed to recognize who he was. To them, he was just a performer with mad skills, not some washed up superhero that once used to stop bank robberies in shorts and knee-high socks. The best part of it all though, was getting to know Eudora Patch, who seemed to be unbelievably entertained by his whole charade.   
  
By the nights end, Diego had concluded that maybe parties were more of his scene after all. After walking Patch back to her dorm room, Diego headed back to his apartment, ready to pass out and sleep off the pleasant buzz that, with any luck, wouldn’t result in a hangover. At least that was what he _wanted_ to do. But much to his own dismay, the first thing he heard walking through the door had him groaning in revulsion. Diego facepalmed, unable to unhear the obnoxiously loud moans that Klaus was passionately vocalizing.   
  
“How the fuck are they _still_ going at it?” He figured Klaus had some stamina built up from years of practice, but this was taking the piss.   
  
Too tired to go complain, Diego trudged towards his bedroom and collapsed face-first onto his mattress, only to receive another _lovely_ surprise. Considering their rooms were back-to-back, and Klaus’ bed was positioned oh-so-fucking-perfectly against the same mother-fucking wall his own was, he now had to deal with _physical impact_ of said activity as well. It was like a creaky fucking earthquake, only made better by Klaus’ running commentary. This was a problem that definitely needed to be rectified. But not tonight. Tonight, he just wanted to sleep.   
  
Diego opted for the only option his drunk brain could produce and buried his face in the pillow, curling it around his head to attempt to muffle the gross noises. Except they weren’t exactly gross. Not really. Especially if his now uncomfortably tight trousers had anything to say about it.   
  
“God… I really need to get laid,” Diego grumbled to himself. The fact that listening to his own brother enjoy himself was making him hard really was a slap-in-the-face reminder of how long it had been since he last had the pleasure himself. He thought back to the smokin’ hot redhead that last graced his bed… almost a year ago, and then sighed.   
  
The thought of getting himself off briefly crossed his mind, but he decided against it, figuring it would be kinda weird to do right next door to that fiasco. Instead, he forced his eyes closed, and prayed for the booze in his system to knock him out as soon as possible. He didn’t have to wait long.   
  
  
Diego woke the next morning to the distinct smell of eggs and bacon being fried in the nearby vicinity. Peeling himself away from the pillow, he glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table. 6:45am. Klaus was up early. He must have been going through his insomniac phase again. His whole sleep schedule had always been a wreck due to how he’d seesaw between taking stimulants and relaxants, often before his previous high had even worn off. It was something that was going to have to be rectified however, if his brother had any hope in consistently attending his classes.   
  
Diego sat up and drew his hands down his face, hoping to rid himself of the grogginess clouding up his head. It wasn’t quite a hangover, but he wasn’t as alert as he usually was in the mornings. After a quick stretch to wake up his lethargic muscles, Diego clambered out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. He spotted Klaus hovering over the stove, humming to himself in a translucent pink dressing down with fuzzy edges. It was the only thing he was wearing, other than a pair of tight-fitting boxer-briefs that had some vibrant pattern on.   
  
“Morning, Diego,” Klaus said, waving at him with a spatula. “I’m making us both breakfast. I hope you’re hungry.”  
  
Diego approached the counter and took a seat on one of the stools. Moments later, a plate was placed in front of him with two fried eggs and a three-layer bacon smiley. Klaus sat beside him; his own plate have forgone the bacon in favour of toast, which paired better with his scrambled version. Not that he seemed to have any intention of eating it anyway, as his fork continued to scrape the plate.  
  
“So, where’s that err… guy?” Diego asked, initiating conversation.   
  
Klaus raised a puzzled eyebrow, as if he had already forgotten about last night’s activities. “Ohhh! You mean Chad?”   
  
“Is that really his name?” Diego looked skeptical.   
  
“I have absolutely no idea. He just looked like a Chad.” Klaus shrugged. “And he snuck out about an hour ago when he thought I was asleep.”  
  
“And you’re OK with that?”  
  
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be? It was just a casual hook-up, y’know, no strings attached, hit it ‘n quit it.” There was something in Klaus’ tone that didn’t match with his seemingly cheery persona. Diego had gotten good at reading his brother’s true mood, behind the wild overcompensation. And right now, something was bothering him.   
  
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting more than a quick fuck, Klaus.”  
  
“It wasn’t quick.”  
  
“You know what I mean.” Diego bumped his shoulder against his brother’s in a small show of affection. “It’s fine to want something a little longer lasting.”  
  
“Diego, please. As if I have it in me to _actually_ hold a relationship. I’m a hot mess who has more baggage than an international flight,” Klaus said. Although the Séance clearly intended for his words to come out sounding jovial, to Diego, they only sounded sad and self-depreciative.   
  
“Klaus, you might be the quirkiest idiot on the planet with some seriously questionable habits, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be happy.”  
  
“That’s a nice sentiment. Lemme know when you find someone who considers ghost-seeing junkies a major turn on.” Klaus’ words were sharp, signalling the end of his interest in this particular conversation. It didn’t take long for his appetite to follow, as he dropped his fork on the plate of completely untouched food and stood up from his seat. “I’m going to go take a bath.”


	4. Chapter 4

Diego’s first criminology lecture went by without any hitches. He’d taken a seat next to Patch in the lecture hall, who had taken it upon herself to elbow him when his attention began to slide. Although he was interested in the course, he was more of a doer, so having to listen to some old professor rattle on about everything that they were going to study on the syllabus was pretty boring.  
  
After that, he had his mandatory powers practice session, necessary to keep his father appeased (and paying for their tuition). Which was why Diego was currently leant against the wall outside Klaus’ classroom, waiting for his brother to come out so they could train together.  
  
Naturally, Klaus was the last one out the studio. And was also covered in what appeared to be chalk. There were pink and purple smudges across his hands, arms, and even his face.  
  
“Oh, hey Di,” he said, with a bright smile.  
  
“You look like you were the canvas,” Diego pointed out, smirking a little at the sight.  
  
“Oh this, yeah. We were learning to blend chalk and I may have gotten a little carried away. But that’s OK, I think it just adds to my artsy aesthetic.” He motioned to his very bohemian-esque get up that was just as colourful as his skin.  
  
“Just don’t get it all over me, all right?”  
  
“I wouldn’t dream of tarnishing your Batman cosplay,” Klaus replied, his eyes flashing with mischief.  
  
“Watch it,” Diego warned. Just because he was wearing a bit of leather, didn’t mean he was impersonating Batman. It was just tactical gear. For training. Which was exactly what they were supposed to be doing right now. “Let’s go.”  
  
“So, how was your lecture? I heard the criminology professor is a real drone,” Klaus asked, easily keeping up with Diego’s fast paced strides with his long legs.  
  
“You got that right. Almost fell asleep. Three times,” Diego replied. “What about you?”  
  
“My class was wonderful. I met this really lovely girl, insanely talented, she liked the abstract piece I was working on. Said and I quote ‘it really expresses who you are as a person.’”  
  
“And what kind of person is that?”  
  
“I have absolutely no idea. But I want to go with whimsical. I feel like I’m whimsical.”  
  
“Fancy word for batshit.”  
  
Klaus took mock offense to that and then proceeded to glare at both Diego, and then the empty spot beside him. “You both are so mean to me.”  
  
  
With special permission, Diego and Klaus had been given the keys to one of the lesser used sport halls that they could use whenever it was free. Alongside that, Diego also had exclusive authorization to carry his knives on his person, under the absolute trust that he wouldn’t use them for anything other than his training. Usually such favourable treatment would be unacceptable, but when your father was a powerful billionaire, people tended to be a lot more cooperative.  
  
Diego dumped his bag on the wooden floor of the hall and pulled out a camcorder, which he thrust in Klaus’ direction. His brother raised a questioning eyebrow as he took it.  
  
“We’re not about to shoot a porno are we?” He grinned, fiddling with the video flap. “With all that leather, it’s hard to know for sure.”  
  
“It’s evidence. Dad wants to make sure that we’re holding up our end of the bargain. So please don’t start stripping.”  
  
“Well I’ll have you know, I’m actually quite shy,” Klaus argued.   
  
“Sure you are, Bro.”  
  
“It’s true, I swear.”  
  
Diego really did find that hard to believe. Nevertheless, he ridded himself of the thought and dug out his knives.  
  
“So, you want me to stand here and film you throwing sharp objects like you’re the star of some pretentious vigilante vlog?” Klaus queried, already using the camera to admire himself.  
  
“That’s the gist of it, yes,” Diego replied, warming his skills up with a couple of swift knife tosses. “Though I’m gonna be trying something a little new.”  
  
This caught Klaus’ attention. “Pray tell.”  
  
“You know how I can throw more than one object at a time, but they all have to be going the same way?” he began. Klaus nodded, intrigued. “Well, I’m gonna try throwing two in opposite directions simultaneously.”  
  
“Doesn’t that require the ability to multi-task?”  
  
“Your point?”  
  
“Diego, I wouldn’t even trust you cooking with the TV on,” Klaus said, sniggering. The Kraken crossed his arms and frowned. He wasn’t _that_ hopeless. Granted, he had burnt plenty of things due to getting distracted. But throwing things was his forte. He could totally do this if he put his mind to it and focused, he was sure.   
  
“Oh yeah? Wanna bet on it?” Diego proposed. He always concentrated better when there were stakes on the line or when he was being competitive.  
  
“Sure. If you can’t manage to hit two targets simultaneously within, let’s say… an hour, I win, and you have to marathon an _entire_ season of _Gossip Girl_ with me. I have the first season on DVD,” Klaus said. Diego had to suppress a shiver at that. He’d been forced into watching one episode once and wanted to stab himself in the eyes. It was so unbelievably boring. Not to mention he’d been with both Klaus _and_ Allison at the time, who were fawning over the male cast like horny teenagers (they were all nineteen). It was enough to want to make him vomit.  
  
“Fine. But if _I_ win, you have to do my laundry for a month,” Diego countered. It was the chore he hated doing the most.  
  
“Ugh. Gross. But fine.” Klaus held his hand out to seal the deal. Diego took it and they shook on it. Riled up, the Kraken set up the targets. They had to be far enough away from each other, but still in sightline. Both required having a stationary object distorting the direct path to force him into using his powers. Diego’s aim was precise. But this was about how precise it was after he altered the trajectory while the knives were in motion. Once they were suitably placed and approved by Klaus (who was having a lot of fun filming), the practice began.  
  
Diego’s first attempt was shockingly atrocious. The knife thrown by his right hand hit its mark precisely, but the other got lodged in the plank of wood that was in front of the target. Klaus, naturally, burst out laughing at that. His second attempt didn’t go much better. Neither did the third. Or fourth. Or fifth. Turned out trying to focus on two flying objects at once and swerve them within the few seconds he had was more difficult than he thought. It didn’t help that Klaus was doing everything he could to distract him with the camcorder. The most progress he made seemed to be a fluke when both managed to fly around the plank of wood, but only hit the outside ring of the target, not the bullseye.  
  
“Times up, dear Diego,” Klaus announced with glee, swinging an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “I win!”  
  
Diego muttered a couple of colourful cusses under his breath and dislodged himself from Klaus’ affections by shoving him away. The Séance just continued to laugh, looking insufferably smug. Despite wanting to punch his sibling in the face, Diego settled for just snatching the camera out of his hand.  
  
“Your turn,” he said.  
  
“Do we have to?” Klaus whined, his energy deflating as fast as his merriment.  
  
“Yeah, Klaus. It’s part of the deal, remember?”  
  
“I know, but… it’s not like my powers can be caught on camera anyways.”  
  
“This one has thermal readings, Klaus. It’ll pick up temperature changes for when you do your thing, and it can also pick up weird frequencies or whatever. There is at least some science behind the crap that you do.”  
  
Klaus groaned and dramatically hissed at an empty spot in the room. “Shut up.”  
  
“What’s the matter?” Diego narrowed his eyes. Then it clicked. He should have seen the signs earlier. The blown wide pupils. The frantic energy. The muscle twitches. “Wait. Don’t tell me your fucking high, Klaus?”  
  
“It was my first day of class! I was nervous!” Klaus confessed, attempting to lessen Diego’s aggravation with a kicked puppy expression. It didn’t work this time. Diego had too much to lose to be swayed by his brother’s woeful hazel eyes.  
  
“You’re g-g-goddamn unbelievable is what you are,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry, okay? It won’t happen again, I swear.”  
  
Diego shook his head and jabbed a finger into Klaus’ collarbone. “It’s not good enough. You said two w-w-weeks ago to give you a few days. And I did. But here you are, high as a fucking k-kite.”  
  
“I wanted to…” Klaus uttered, hanging his head in what Diego could scarcely believe as shame.  
  
“You just don’t get it do you? How much is on the line here. I’ve put up with your shit for years, Klaus. _Years._ When the rest of our siblings gave up on you ever being more than just a useless junkie, I stayed by your side. I gave a shit. I knew you were better than that.”  
  
“I know, I know… I’m really sorry.”  
  
“But now you’re just proving them right. It’s not just your life you’re gonna screw with this behaviour. It’s mine, too. I risked everything to give you a damn shot at a better future. And this is how you thank me?”  
  
“You’re right. I… I’m just dragging you down.” A glistening silver droplet trailed down Klaus’ cheek and he wiped it away with a sniffle, smudging his already messy eyeliner. It was rare for Klaus to actually cry, to show something other than his carefree image. It was the same for all of them. From Luther to Vanya, each had their own way of putting up a mask. Because crying was useless when no one came to comfort. Their father had taught them that tears were a sign of weakness. A notion that had been so deeply ingrained into every one of the Hargreeves siblings, that all of them pretended not to notice when they saw it happen. At least, most of the time.  
  
Diego’s anger started to fade as he watched Klaus try to frantically scrub his eyes dry. He knew he’d actually gotten through to him for a change. Enough that staying mad would only make him feel guilty.  
  
“Look, Klaus,” Diego began, his voice much softer than before. “Do you know why I get so frustrated with you?”  
  
“Because I’m worthless deadweight?” Klaus answered flatly. He shrank to the floor and sat down with his knees hiked up to his chest. Diego swiftly joined him.  
  
“No, you idiot, it’s because I care about your sorry ass. I hate watching you throw your life away like you’ve lost all fight. I get why you do what you do. I think if I could see dead people all the time, I’d wanna pop every pill on the planet, too. But you can’t be like that. You have too much potential, Klaus.”  
  
“Now you sound like Dad…”  
  
“I don’t mean in the superpower department. I mean as a person. You’ve always been the most self-confident of all of us, even more so than me. You knew who you were from the get-go and have never been ashamed to show the world, whether it meant putting on Mom’s heels or buying a giant pink stuffed bear in a toy store because you thought it was cute. Hell, you even had the balls to wear booty shorts and fishnets to one of Dad’s formal events.”  
  
“Yeah, I remember that. He got so mad. But it was worth it.” Klaus smiled a little. Seeing Reginald’s face go red with fury had been the highlight of Diego’s month. Though it did result in Klaus having his wardrobe raided and all his inappropriate clothes burnt. Not that it stopped him, as instead he just raided Allison’s closet.  
  
“What I’m saying is, if you’ve got the confidence to do all that, you can do anything,” Diego said, bumping their shoulders together. Funny how he went from being furious to giving Klaus a pep talk instead. It really was quite impossible for him to stay mad at him.  
  
“I suppose you do have a point,” Klaus uttered. He contemplated a moment longer before breathing out a sigh and stretching out his long legs in front of him. “I’ll do it. For real. I have a three-day weekend coming up. Seventy-two hours should be enough to get me through the worst of it.”  
  
“Now that’s what I wanna hear, bud,” Diego said. Hopefully, this time would be the charm.


	5. Chapter 5

Today was the day Klaus was going cold turkey. Which was why he was on his knees, dumping a packet of pills down the toilet with a lamenting expression.   
  
“Is that the last one?” Diego asked, hovering beneath the doorframe to ensure that his brother got rid of every last particle of the shitty stuff. Klaus had managed to hide an impressive number of stashes around the apartment, in places that Diego would never have even guessed.   
  
“Yeah… that was the last one,” Klaus said, reaching up to pull the flush. With a swirl of motion, the water swallowed up everything, leaving the Séance to deal with the gut-wrenching realization that he no longer had any means to get high.   
  
“I’m proud of you,” Diego said, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder and giving it an encouraging squeeze. This was the first step accomplished.   
  
“You’ve locked the door, right?” Klaus questioned, nervously.   
  
“Yupp. Door’s bolted shut and the key is in my pocket so good luck getting that,” Diego replied. Klaus was feisty when he wanted to be, but there was no way in hell he could overpower him. Out of all their siblings (bar Vanya), he was probably the least combat savvy.   
  
“You can’t let me out, no matter what. If I get outside, the first place I’m going to go is one of my dealers. There is a shocking amount of them on campus, trust me.”   
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your ass confined to this apartment, even if I have to tie you down to your bed.”  
  
“Kinky.” Klaus cracked a grin, though it didn’t hold as much spirit as usual. With lackluster effort, he pulled himself up off the tiled floor and trudged past Diego into the lounge, where he proceeded to flop onto the sofa. Diego followed suit and took up residence beside him, only to have Klaus take the opportunity to manoeuvre his bare feet onto his lap. Usually, Diego would shoo him off, but as he was already starting to look jittery, he decided to allow it.   
  
Klaus sat still for all of about three seconds before jerking forwards and reaching down towards the basket that was kept nearby. From it, he pulled out a pair of knitting needles and a half-finished scarf of mismatching colours. The entire length of it was of varying degrees of skill, depending on how fidgety or focused Klaus had been while making it. Some of the sections were neat and beautifully weaved, whereas others were chaotic, full of holes and missed stitches, that Klaus had been too restless to fix. It was an almost perfect representation of the man himself.   
  
“You all right?” Diego asked, when Klaus appeared to zone out.   
  
“Yeah. I just gotta keep occupied and you know, not think about drugs,” he answered, somewhat terse.   
  
“I’m here if you need me,” Diego reminded him. “Do you mind if we put a movie on?”  
  
“So long as you don’t pick anything scary, loud, or with flashing lights.”  
  
Diego nodded, shooing off Klaus’ leg so he could hop off the couch. He didn’t like the idea of sitting in silence, especially as he too needed something to keep himself distracted. Watching Klaus suffering wasn’t exactly pleasant, even if it were to help him in the long run.   
  
“Do you wanna start your God-awful marathon?” Diego offered, spying the DVD case in question in Klaus’ designated section (that was filled with chick-flicks, rom-coms and Disney movies).  
Klaus shook his head, “I’d rather watch that when I can enjoy it, not when I feel like clawing my way out of my own skin.”   
  
“OK then, how about something Disney?” he continued. Diego admittedly, had a soft spot for many of these animated classics. They made him _feel_ things.   
  
“Sure,” Klaus’s answered, non-committal. His attention was locked onto the needles in his hands as they clacked together to braid another line. Diego settled on Aladdin as the Genie tended to amuse his brother. He returned to the sofa to once again be used as a footstall, and then clicked play on the remote.   
  
It was strange to watch a Disney movie without Klaus theatrically singing along in a way that was both cringeworthy and highly endearing. But Klaus seemed intent on doing nothing but focusing on his knitting. Even when a thin veil of sweat coated his skin and his hands started to incessantly tremble. This level of concentration kept up until the second movie, Mulan. That one managed to get a rise out of him when he quietly began to hum along to ‘I’ll make a man out of you’ which was no surprise to Diego, as Klaus had a major childhood crush on Li Shang.  
  
“What colour should I add next?” Klaus asked, about halfway through the third movie (Beauty and the Beast). This was the first time he’d spoken in hours, which for Klaus, was probably a record (discounting the time he broke his jaw and physically couldn’t talk).   
  
Diego raised an eyebrow. “Why you asking me?”   
  
“Because I’m making it for you, silly,” he stated, as if it were obvious.   
  
“You really think I’m gonna wear that?” He’d look like an idiot. Not only were half the colours neon, but they were so wildly asymmetrical that he’d may as well consider himself a confused traffic light. Diego had an image to maintain. And that image consisted solely of the colour black.   
  
Klaus stopped what he was going with a dramatic huff, his grip on his needles tightening to the point where it seemed he might snap them in half. When Diego realized that his sibling wasn’t just putting on a show, but was legitimately upset, he rapidly changed his mind.   
  
“How about red?” he suggested.   
  
Klaus settled down and rummaged through his basket of wool to find a spool of red. Then got back to work.   
  
“I never really asked where you learnt to knit,” Diego said, suddenly curious. It was the kind of skill that one wouldn’t immediately associate with the likes of his brother.   
  
“Mom taught me,” Klaus replied. “Said it would help with my fidgeting.”  
  
“Sounds like Mom.” Diego smiled at that. The best thing that their father had ever done for them was build Mom. She had always been the one that was there for them, patching up wounds, cooking their meals, making sure they were (somewhat) happy and healthy. Diego figured if it weren’t for her, they’d all be a lot more fucked up than they currently were. Hell, he’d still be a stammering mess if she hadn’t taught him the little trick of picturing the word in his head – something he’d be eternally grateful for.   
  
“She also taught me how to perfectly wing my eyeliner,” Klaus added. “And how to make blueberry muffins.”  
  
“You can make blueberry muffins?” They were Diego’s absolute favourite sweet treat. Klaus hummed in response. “Do you think you can maybe… make some?”   
  
“When I’m not about to simultaneously freeze to death and spontaneously combust, sure.”   
  
Their conversation came to a swift halt after that, as Klaus’ breathing suddenly became erratic and his face paled to an ashen grey. Diego felt his heart ache as he watched his brother fling the scarf onto the coffee table and dash towards the toilet, where he violently began to throw up. It was rough to listen to, especially as Klaus would let out a pained whine in between each spasm.   
  
As an autopilot response, Diego headed to the kitchen and filled a glass with water, ready to offer his brother when the vomiting subsided. Klaus returned to the couch about fifteen minutes later, nursing his stomach and looking about ready to pass out. Except Diego knew Klaus wouldn’t sleep. Not like this.   
  
“Drink this,” Diego said, handing him the glass. Klaus nodded a half-hearted thanks before bringing the ice-cold liquid to his lips and taking a few tentative sips. “You really do look like shit.”  
  
“Oh, I can assure you it’s a lot worse than it looks,” Klaus replied, chuckling morbidly. He retook his spot on the couch cushions and kicked his feet back onto Diego’s lap. “And it’s not even at its worst yet.”  
  
“You’re referring to the ghosts, right?” Diego muttered, beginning to absentmindedly massage his brother’s feet. Even if he could give him just a little bit of comfort, it would be worth it.   
  
“Yeah. A couple more hours and I expect they’ll start hounding my ass again. Do you have any idea how whiney dead people are? It’s like they think I have nothing better to do than to listen to all their problems.” Klaus let out a sigh. He must have been getting a headache as he was now rubbing circles into his temples.   
  
“You’re doing great, Klaus,” Diego said, genuinely meaning that. Klaus smiled at him weakly, before picking his project back up and continuing to create the world’s wackiest scarf.   
  
  
Things took a turn for the worst just two hours later, when Klaus’ symptoms started to spike. He became restless, agitated and worst of all, manic.  
  
“ _Fuck_!” Klaus swore, when the tremors in his hands caused the wool he was working with to become knotted. He tried to fix it, but due to his inability to concentrate, it only made it worse, which in turn, caused him to get frustrated. From there, it was all a downward spiral that ultimately ended with him growling and flinging the entire thing on the floor.   
  
Diego immediately sprang into action before Klaus could throw a tantrum. “Hey, hey, it’s all right. Calm down.”  
  
“I can’t do shit.” Klaus was on his feet in seconds, digging his fingers into his scalp and pulling at his hair. He was shivering now, pacing the room like he had too much energy to burn. Diego didn’t like seeing him like this, so erratic. He darted off the couch and blocked his brother’s path, bringing him to an abrupt halt when he grabbed hold of his shoulders.   
  
“You’re OK, Klaus. Just another day or two of this and it’ll all be over, I promise,” Diego said, gently pulling Klaus’ hands away from his head before he could hurt himself. He continued to utter words of encouragement, but Klaus didn’t seem to be paying attention, as his wild eyes were fixated on the front door.   
  
“It’s stuffy in here. I need to go outside.”  
  
“You know I can’t let you do that, Bro.” Diego knew if he let him outside, Klaus would one-hundred-percent bolt. The Kraken may win in a fight, but an on-foot chase? Unlikely. Klaus was disturbingly fast and agile.   
  
“Please, Di.” Desperate hazel eyes with upturned eyebrows met Diego’s brown ones. It was a pitiful look. One that made Diego’s heart sink. But despite that, he still stood his ground.   
  
“I’m sorry, Klaus. But you’re staying put in this apartment.”   
  
That seemed to be the wrong answer, as Klaus suddenly pounced on him, knocking them both to the floor in a heap. It took a moment for the initial shock to wear off, and for Diego to feel the hands that were frantically searching his person.   
  
“Give me the key, Diego!” Klaus yelled, when he couldn’t immediately find it.   
  
“I’m not giving you the fucking key, Klaus,” Diego shot back. They continued to wrestle, getting increasingly more aggressive by the second, with Klaus trying to locate his prize and Diego trying to stop him. It carried on like this until, out of pure luck, Klaus managed to discover the pocket that the item had been hidden in and succeeded in prying it free.   
  
“Aha!” Klaus’ eyes flashed with accomplishment. It didn’t last long however, as within a flash their positions were changed. Diego’s combat instincts had finally kicked in and with it, he had grabbed hold of his brother’s wrists and pinned them above his head.   
  
“Give me back the key, Klaus,” Diego warned, no longer playing around. Clamping his fist down on the small silver object, Klaus shook his head and futilely attempted to buck his brother off. When that got him nowhere, he started yelling colourful profanities that Diego just ignored. “I can sit here all day, Bro.”  
  
It didn’t take long for Klaus to tire himself out trying to escape. He hissed and struggled, but eventually his energy left him, leaving him no other choice than to give up. Diego was relieved when his brother finally opened up his palm and allowed him to recover the stolen object. Once it was placed securely back in his pocket, he deemed it safe to relinquish his grip on Klaus’ wrists and his weight from his lithe frame.   
  
Klaus made no effort to sit up as he drew his hands towards his chest and began rubbing his sore muscles. Diego had left behind bruises. Although it made him feel guilty, he knew it was better than the alternative.   
  
“I can’t do this, Di,” Klaus muttered, sounding utterly defeated.   
  
“Yeah, you can.”  
  
“No, I can’t. It never lasts, Diego. Even if I somehow manage to get through this God-awful withdrawal, I’ll still end up back on the drugs sooner or later. I just can’t help it.”  
  
“Look, Bro, you gotta take this one day at a time. I know it’s hard, but right now with this mentality, you’re just setting yourself up to fail.”   
  
“You sound exactly like my last rehabilitation therapist,” Klaus said, forcing himself to finally sit upright. “Except you’re much, _much_ hotter.”   
  
“You know you’re a pervert, right?” Diego grinned. It was alleviating to see a little bit of Klaus re-emerging from his temporary hysteria.   
  
“One of the perks of having absolutely no filter.” He was right about that. Diego was well acquainted with the knowledge that his brother’s brain and mouth rarely acted in sync. It had gotten him into an awful lot of trouble over the years. But there were also instances where Diego admired that about him.  
  
“I mean you were the one to call Dad a wrinkly old bastard to his face,” Diego said. Even _he_ had never had the balls to insult their father so directly. “Still one of my most treasured memories.”  
  
“Served him right for telling me that I couldn’t dye my hair pink,” Klaus stated, still prideful of that action. Their moment of nostalgia was brief nevertheless, as reality crept back up on them in the form of Klaus nervously scratching his arms.   
  
“You all right?” Diego asked, knowing full well the futility of the question.   
  
“I’m sorry for err… attacking you,” Klaus muttered, struggling to look up from the floor. He was regretful of his outburst; Diego could see that.   
  
“I know, you’re forgiven.” It wasn’t like he could be held fully accountable. Right now, Klaus’ mind was an addled mess desperate for the drugs that it had become dependent on. He’d do anything to reach that high. “Not like I can’t easily overpower your scrawny ass. For someone who has had combat training you really do fight like a ferocious twig.”  
  
“Oh have you know twigs can be quite dangerous. I once stepped on one and got this humongous splinter. It hurt for days.”  
  
“That’s why you should wears shoes,” Diego said, amused by his brother’s hand gestures that helped embellish the drama of the story.   
  
“Or maybe I should just learn to levitate,” Klaus contemplated.   
  
“Well if you manage to accomplish that, let me know. I’d love to see it.”   
  
Their conversation was cut short when Klaus abruptly turned to glance at an empty spot in the room and pulled an uneasy face. Something caused him to wince and he dug his nails into his forearms. Diego had seen that reaction before. It often came with a distinct chill in the air and a prickling sensation that crept up his spine.   
  
“They’re here aren’t they?” Diego uttered. Klaus nodded. “How many?”  
  
“Not including Ben, just the three,” he answered, tearing his gaze away from the areas he distinctively no longer wanted to look at. Instead, he turned his attention towards Diego and forced a smile on his face, as if to tell him not to worry. “Can I paint your nails?”   
  
“What?” Diego was taken aback by the sudden request. “No.”  
  
“Oh come on, Di! Mine are already done,” Klaus beseeched. He wiggled his fingers in front of Diego’s face as if to show him how stylish his nails were.   
  
“Bright orange polish look good on you, Klaus. But it’s a bit girly for me. I’ll look ridiculous.”  
  
“Hey! Plenty of badass celebrities paint their nails. Are you saying Steven Tyler isn’t cool?” Shockingly, Klaus had a point. “What about David Bowie?”  
  
“OK, OK, I get it.” Diego cut him off. Maybe he was a bit quick to judge on that one. “Just make it black at least, all right?”   
  
“Yaaay!” Klaus sprang to his feet like his ass was on fire and disappeared into his bedroom. Diego pinched the bridge of his nose. Surely, he would regret this.   
  
The Séance returned a few moments later and patted the sofa cushion for Diego to sit on. Meanwhile, he himself took up residence on the floor, perched on his knees between Diego’s legs – at an angle that would appear questionable if someone were to walk in.   
  
“Give me your hand,” Klaus instructed, holding out his own. Diego suppressed a grunt that withheld within it his masculinity and allowed his brother to tenderly grip his hand. “I’m sorry if this comes out a bit messy. My hands aren’t all that steady at the moment.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” Diego reassured, voice somewhat deeper than usual. Klaus’ concentration was palpable as he brought the brush across Diego’s nail in a slightly shaky motion. The polish went on smoothly, leaving behind a streak of sparkling black. Diego frowned, accusatory. “Wait. Does this have glitter in it?”  
  
Klaus shrugged. “Huh. Must have gotten the bottles mixed up.”  
  
“Sure you fucking did.”  
  
“Well you stipulated black; you didn’t say anything about glitter.”   
  
“You’re a pedantic little shit.” Diego shook his head, half wanting to laugh, half wanting to smack his brother for being such a devious asshole. At least it was keeping him occupied. Especially as it was obvious from the way Klaus was grinding his teeth that he was doing his best to ignore the wailing of the dead.   
  
Having his nails painted by Klaus wasn’t as uncomfortable as Diego thought it would be. Hell, it could almost be considered relaxing. After all, it wasn’t often that he received so much attention, or had someone hold his hand, (even if said person’s skin was fucking freezing and the contact was only for manoeuvring purposes).   
  
There was also something strangely fascinating about watching Klaus up close. Meticulous wasn’t often a word that Diego would associate with the Séance, but right now that was exactly what he was. Despite the tremors, he was careful and delicate, like he genuinely didn’t want to ruin the paint job. It was endearing actually, to see his easy-going brother care about something so trivial. The only annoying part was waiting for the polish to dry. Diego never noticed how much he used his hands until he wasn’t allowed to use them. At least not without Klaus hissing at him in annoyance.   
  
“There, all finished,” he declared, clasping his hands together with glee. “What do you think?”  
  
“I suppose it’s not horrendous,” Diego answered, honestly.   
  
“Great. Now lemme do your toenails!”  
  
“You’re kidding me, right?”  
  
Klaus was not kidding.   
  
Getting his toenails done involved a lot more self-control as, unlike his hands, Diego’s feet were quite ticklish. Something that Klaus was delighted to discover. His merciless teasing on the subject did result in Diego getting most of his feet painted as well. Because Klaus of course, had to be a dick about it, and would purposely run his finger down the sole of his foot just to watch him jerk in response.   
  
After that, Diego had ordered in Chinese because he felt like noodles. Klaus had tried eating some plain soup, but only got in a few spoonfuls before bringing it straight back up again. He’d ended up pretty drained afterwards and had curled up on the sofa with his headphones on in attempt to ‘drown out the noise’.   
  
Diego continued to keep a watchful eye on him while he resumed the Disney marathon, only to have to disturb him when he got too tired to stay awake.   
  
“Hey, Klaus.” Diego softly shook his brother’s shoulder to get his attention. Klaus grumbled in response and pulled down his headset so he could hear him. “I think I’m gonna head to bed. Are you gonna stay here on the couch?”  
  
“May as well,” Klaus replied, half-heartedly. Diego nodded and pulled off the blanket from the top of the sofa and lay it across his sibling’s trembling form. “Let me know if you need anything, OK?”  
  
“Yeah, yeah.”   
  
“You’re gonna stay put, right?” Diego felt like he had to check, for his own peace of mind.   
  
“Diego, I ache all over. And there’s a really persistent dead lady that keeps patrolling the front door. I’m hoping if I stay here and pretend to be asleep she’ll go away.”   
  
Diego couldn’t help but glance towards the entrance, as if he expected to get a glimpse of what Klaus could see. But as usual, there was nothing there but empty space. He didn’t know what was more unsettling, knowing that there was something there that he couldn’t see, or being able to see the thing that was unsettling. Looking at Klaus, he supposed the latter was much worse. At least he could pretend otherwise. Out of sight, out of mind.   
  
With as much assurance as he knew he was going to get from Klaus, Diego refilled the empty glass of water to be left on the coffee table (to ensure his brother stayed hydrated) and pulled an empty bin up to the sofa – just in case he needed to vomit and couldn’t make it to the bathroom.   
  
“G’night, Bro,” he said, unsure if his sibling could actually hear him. When he received no response, it gave him his answer. He left the living room light on for Klaus, (as he was never a huge fan of the dark) before he headed into his bedroom, where he threw on some pyjamas and all but collapsed onto his bed.   
  
Today had been exhausting. He knew taking care of Klaus while he was suffering through withdrawals would be rough, but that knowledge didn’t make it any easier. It was hard to care about someone who was so vehemently self-destructive without even directly meaning to be. Diego had been looking out for Klaus since he could remember. Protecting his scrawny ass from bad guys. Picking him up when he called drunk, drugged, and disorientated. Taking him out to eat at three in the morning, just to make sure that he did, in fact, eat. It was strange really, when he thought about how he treated his other siblings. He loved them all, yes. But not to the same extent that he loved Klaus. He was different. _Special_. How exactly he was special though was a freaking mystery because Klaus drove him up the wall far worse than even Luther could. And yet, no matter how much he annoyed that ever loving shit outta him, he remained vigilantly by his side, like it was just innate.   
  
Diego rolled onto his front and curled his arms under his pillow. From there he closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.   
  
  
He woke the next morning at the crack of dawn, about an hour before his alarm went off, to an itching feeling in the back of his mind. Like something was off. Frowning, he jerked upwards, propping himself up on his arms, to notice that it was strangely silent. Klaus had been up before the sun the last two weeks and by God did he liked to let the entire apartment know about it.   
  
“Maybe he’s just tired,” Diego told himself, hopeful. He couldn’t convince himself of that though, and within a moment he was leaping out of bed and darting into the lounge. Klaus wasn’t on the couch. Nor was he in the kitchen. Or the bathroom. Something creaked and caught his attention, and that was when he noticed that the front door was slightly ajar. The key never left Diego’s person. Klaus must have picked the lock.   
  
“Fuck.”


	6. Chapter 6

Diego grabbed the list of all the on-campus suppliers that Klaus had reluctantly given him the day before. Not shockingly, there was more than a dozen (how Klaus had managed to locate them all so quickly was an impressive mystery). With each one catalogued, Klaus had left notes of what he could procure from them and how likely it was that he’d go to that particular dealer compared to others. Heart thrumming a mile a minute, Diego snatched his coat and headed out in search of his complete and total asshole of a brother.   
  
Checking the list, he marked his first target as the set of dorms that contained the singular heroin dealer that Diego fucking prayed that Klaus hadn’t gone to. Heroin was Klaus’ all-time favourite. But it was also his kryptonite. Four out of the five overdoses that he’d ever had were due to that piece of shit drug. If he had shot up in the state he was in, the chances of him miscalculating his limit was worryingly high.   
  
After banging on the guy’s dorm room and almost threatening him with a knife, Diego was relieved to find out that the heroin dealer hadn’t in fact sold anything to his brother within the last twenty-four hours.   
  
Next up was the Ecstasy group. All of which were a bust. Apparently, none of the four dealers for that had come across Klaus either. But one of them had asked Diego to pass on the message to Klaus offering a special offer hook-up of the sexual kind in exchange for a free hit. Diego had absolutely no intention of passing that message on. At all.   
  
Getting more worked up by the second, Diego made a beeline towards his next location across campus. Either Klaus had been smart and had purposely gone to the bottom of the list to evade Diego for as long as he could, or he’d conveniently forgotten to mention a couple of names entirely. As much as Diego wanted to trust in Klaus’ initial sincerity when making the list, he knew better than to give his brother one hundred percent of his confidence.   
  
He was jogging through the back courtyard that interlinked two of the dorm halls when by some miracle, he spotted a figure curled up atop frosted grass in nothing but a pair of brightly coloured boxer-briefs. There was only person in the entire college that would be fucking dumb enough to wear such flashy underwear and pass out in the dirt.   
  
Diego swore under his breath when he noticed familiar brown curls and the bold black letters of a ‘hello’ tattooed on the palm of a soil coated hand. Dropping into a crouch, he shook Klaus by his shoulder, feeling ice-cold dread coursing through his veins. Thankfully, after a few moments, his still-alive brother began to stir from his slumber. With a tired groan, Klaus pulled himself up on his hands and looked up at Diego, completely confused and disorientated.  
  
“Where am I?” he muttered.   
  
“Outside. In a fucking flowerbed. That you’ve fucking destroyed, by the way,” Diego replied, seething with fury. He must have had gone berserk after getting high and decided to decimate the college grounds. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d gotten destructive while tripping.   
  
Klaus grabbed his head and winced. “I… I don’t r-r-remember.”   
  
“Yeah, no shit. That’s what tends to happen when you take mind altering chemicals. So what was it this time, huh? Crack? Acid?”   
  
“I don’t know…” he answered, listlessly.   
  
Diego roughly grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to face him properly. “Fucking tell me, Klaus, I am not playing around. You _lied_ to me. Again. So. Tell. Me. What. You. Took.”   
  
“I said I d-d-don’t know!” Klaus yelled. His hazel eyes were wide, like a deer caught in headlights. It was then Diego noticed his brother was shivering. His lips had gone almost blue from being out in the frost and there was even flecks of ice embedded in his hair. Seeing him like this, Diego’s anger melted away and was replaced by brotherly concern. Even if Klaus had betrayed him yet again, there was no way he was going sit back and leave him in the cold to die of hypothermia. Shrugging off his coat, he wrapped it around his sibling’s shoulders and watched as Klaus timidly pulled it closer.   
  
“We’ll talk about this more when you get warm,” Diego said, breathing out a heavy sigh. He helped his brother to his feet and had to support most his frozen weight as they trudged back to the apartment.   
  
  
The first thing Diego did once they were inside was run Klaus a hot bath. Raising his brother’s temperature was his core priority right now, especially since he’d been stuttering worse than his own past self. With the water rising, Diego picked a bottle of bubble bath from his brother’s elaborate collection and poured in hefty amount. He may have been mad, but he wasn’t a total jerk to force him into having a boring sudsless bath.   
  
When the tub was filled, Diego collected his brother from where he’d left him, buried in a blanket on the sofa. Klaus stripped himself of his underwear, not caring about his audience (because why would he? They were brothers after all, not like they haven’t seen each other naked before), and tentatively lowered himself into the warm water.   
  
“You can go now if you want…” Klaus muttered, sounding legitimately miserable as he sunk into the lavender scented foamy depths.  
  
“Naaah. I’m staying right here to ensure you don’t drown,” Diego said, plonking himself down on the tiles beside the clawfoot.   
  
“In this scenario am I trying to kill myself or did I just fall asleep?”   
  
“You fell asleep,” Diego answered. The thought of Klaus intentionally trying to off himself was distressing, something he didn’t even want to joke about.   
  
“Right…” Klaus’ attention drifted toward his hands as he began scrubbing them clean under the water. With the dirt gone, what was left behind was even more troubling. Klaus’ hands were covered in small bloodied cuts.   
  
Diego frowned, they looked like they seriously stung. “Seriously Klaus, what the hell happened?”  
  
“It depends, Diego. Will you believe me if I say I don’t even remember leaving the apartment?” Klaus’ tone was sharp. Frustrated.  
  
“The lock was picked, Klaus,” Diego informed him. There wasn’t anyone else in the residence. And he knew full well that his brother was apt at lock-picking. They all were.   
  
“Like I said, Diego. I don’t remember.”   
  
“Then what _is_ the last thing you remember?”   
  
Klaus drew a wet hand through his sodden curls and closed his eyes. For a moment Diego thought his brother was going to ignore him, but then he opened his mouth and spoke in a tired voice, “I remember you going to bed. And I turned up the volume on my CD player when the voices got louder. Then the hot flushes came, so I took off all my clothes, and that was right before I threw my guts up and passed out on the bathroom floor.”   
  
“OK,” Diego said, deciding to accept his rendition of events. Klaus was a compulsive liar, but his fabrications often crumbled when enough pressure was issued.   
  
“I’m also pretty sure I didn’t get high either,” he then added.   
  
“And how’d you know?”  
  
“Because the last guy that lived in this apartment is stood right behind you with rope burns around his neck.”   
  
Diego had wondered why he felt cold of all of a sudden. “Well that’s good to know. Sorta.” But that only left a huge gaping question to be answered. “Well… if you didn’t break out to get high. Then what on Earth were you doing out cold in the middle of a field?”   
  
Klaus shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”   
  
“What about Ben?” Diego asked. He wasn’t the only one watching over Klaus Hargreeves. “Wouldn’t he know?”   
  
“Dear Benny-boy doesn’t tend to hang around at bedtimes anymore on account of how creepy it makes him feel staring at me while I sleep. That, and you know, I tend to participate in a lot of unspeakable activities beforehand.”   
  
“I suppose I can’t blame him for that,” Diego said, knowing full well that Klaus was filthy. A moment of silence passed between them as the tension in the room began to evaporate. With Klaus idly fiddling with the chipped porcelain around the edge of the tub and Diego shifting uncomfortably on the floor, it was the Séance that finally broke the awkwardness.   
  
“I meant it you know,” he uttered.   
  
Diego looked at his brother directly. “Meant what?”  
  
“When I said I’d get clean. I know it’s hard to believe, but I do give a shit about all this, about _you._ For once in my life, I have a chance to actually make something of myself, and I appreciate that, because honestly, I’m kinda fed up with always being the family screw up.” Klaus’ broken, disparaging laugh was hard to listen to. Because that was exactly how Klaus saw himself: a pathetic joke.   
  
“You’re not the family screw up, Bro. You’ve just made some bad choices is all. We all have somewhere down the line. Yours just come with fireworks and neon fairy lights,” Diego said, trying to lighten the mood.   
  
“And a whole lot of dick,” Klaus added, smirking a little.  
  
“Yeah, that too.”   
  
Klaus stayed in the bath for another forty minutes, which was for as long as it took for his restlessness to kick back in. He was only on day two and half of his detox, and thus was still in the thick of it.   
  
“Ughh. Why does sobriety have to suck so baaaad?” Klaus grumbled, stomping his feet on the floor in a rather childish manner. He was struggling to keep his hands still as Diego wrapped small band aids around the cuts on his fingers.   
  
“I think you’re a little biased, Klaus,” Diego answered. He pulled another Hello Kitty patch from the box, wondering what possessed him to think it was a good idea to leave Klaus in charge of stocking the first aid kit.   
  
“Yeah, probably. Not many people have the luxury of having a German grandma with half a face missing yammer on about the good ol’ days of ethnic cleansing and mass genocide. Really wish this one would just go away already.”  
  
“Jesus.” There wasn’t much else he could say to that.   
  
“Nope. Haven’t met him yet.” Klaus attempted to grin. It was a good effort on his part. “Seriously though, I have no idea where half these ghosts are coming from. It’s like they’ve all been piling at my door for so long that now that’s open they’re just… everywhere.”  
  
“Maybe it’ll calm down when you gain more control?” Diego hypothesized. It wasn’t like Klaus had all that much practice with his abilities, due to his unrelenting terror of the dead.   
  
“I hope so…” Klaus didn’t seem all that convinced. Deep down, Diego knew that if things didn’t get better, his brother would opt for closing that door again. It was hard to blame him for it, to be caught between a rock and a hard place like that. But drugs or the dead couldn’t be his only two options in life. They just couldn’t.   
  
“I’m sorry for getting so mad at you,” Diego said, still feeling the guilt gnawing away at him. In retrospect, it wasn’t his best move. Though in his defence, it was easy to jump to conclusions with Klaus, particularly when all the evidence pointed towards the typical unending cycle.   
  
“Don’t be.” Klaus shook his head and smiled like it was all trivial to him. “I’m always mad at myself, especially with my track record.”  
  
“Still. You’re my brother, Klaus, and I should have believed you.”  
  
“Believe me? That is a horrendous idea, Di. The only time you should believe in what I say is when someone asks me ‘does this shirt go with these pants’ or when talking about my fetishes, because I always believe in being honest in the bedroom.”   
  
Diego rolled his eyes, because of course their conversation always ends up circling back to Klaus’ dirty habits. “I imagine you could write a novel with the number of fetishes you have.”  
  
Klaus winked at him and giggled. “Oh, you have _no_ idea, dear Brother.”   
  
  
With the air cleared between them, Diego went back to watching over his brother as he distracted himself from his body’s desire for drugs and his constant discordance with the dead. This time the Séance had chosen to sketch. It was a kill two birds with one stone kinda deal, as Klaus had mentioned that getting a head start on his portfolio would also do him good in the long run.   
  
He’d gotten lost in it at some point, ensnared in a trance that forced his pencil violently across the paper. Diego could hear the scrapping noises clear as day as he observed his sibling cover his sketchpad in ghastly images. Faces frozen in terror. Looming figures. Disturbed shadows. The exact kind of pieces that Diego recognized from their childhood. Ones that began to appear around the time that their father had started locking Klaus up in the mausoleum. Klaus had always been afraid of his powers, but those stunts made his fear about a million times worse.   
  
Diego couldn’t really envision what it must be like to have such a frightening power, one that may as well have been called what it really was: a curse. Both Klaus and Ben had been unwillingly handed the burden of wielding nightmares and both struggled immensely because of it. It was why the pair were always close growing up, they understood each other on a level that no one else could. The conduit of the dead. And the conduit of monsters. Ben escaped his own suffering just to become part of Klaus’ which Diego doubted was much of an improvement.   
  
Diego clicked his fingers in front of his brother’s face, causing him to blink out of his hypnotic state. Klaus pulled down his headphones to sit around his neck and glanced up at Diego along with the offering of a steaming hot mug.  
  
“I brought you some herbal tea,” Diego said. “I think you need a break.”   
  
“Thanks.” Klaus removed his sketchpad from where it sat against his hiked-up knees and cautiously took hold of the mug, which was then brought to his lips. “Oooo hibiscus.”  
  
“Feeling any better?”   
  
“Me? Oh, just peachy. The nausea has started to fade a little along with the tremors. But my head is banging so loud I feel like I’m at a rave and I’ve just smashed my skull into the speakers.”   
  
“Sorry man.” Diego sat himself back down on the other end of the couch, picking up a discarded pencil along the way to spin between his fingers. Klaus continued to nurse his drink, periodically scanning the room, and occasionally wincing. They were quiet for a while, until Klaus had emptied the contents of his cup.   
  
“What about you? Fed up with me yet?” he then asked. Despite the jovial tone, there was a brittleness to his words. Like usual, Klaus had tried to affix a smiley faced sticker on top of a sad one and missed.   
  
“Klaus, the moment you learned to speak, I was fed up with you.” Diego’s grin helped to keep up the humorous charade, because being entirely sincere was uncomfortable. “But you’re family, so no matter what shit you pull, I will always be there to haul your ass out of trouble.”  
  
“Is it weird that that turned me on a little?” Klaus commented, seemingly having settled.   
  
Diego shook his head, not even gracing that question with an answer. They really were both as emotionally stunted as each other.   
  
  
The rest of the daytime went by with only one major hiccup. Diego had encouraged his brother into drawing something a lot less morbid, something he enjoyed. So, Klaus, being Klaus took that extremely literally and decided to sketch a bunch of anatomically correct dicks. Despite wanting to facepalm his way into oblivion Diego had been quite impressed by the detail and how well he’d managed to draw from memory. But he imagined that Klaus had seen an awful lot of dicks in his life and of course, had a particularly close relationship with his own.   
  
The hiccup had happened soon after that, when Klaus had blown up in exasperation when the crowd around him apparently became too much to deal with. He had started launching his pencils at seemingly random spots around the room while yelling in multiple different languages for them all to go away. It took a while for Diego to calm Klaus down from that and it required him pulling out the big guns of allowing his brother to sketch him topless. Klaus had pushed for the full nude, but Diego had to draw the line somewhere.   
  
“You look like you’re enjoying this too much,” Diego grunted, getting stiff from having to sit still for so long in what Klaus would call a ‘sexy lounge’ pose. Even though he was confident in his body, that still had to be one of the most awkward experiences of his life.  
  
“Hey, I’m taking this extremely seriously. I’m an art student now, remember? That makes me at least semi-professional,” Klaus defended. His lips then curled behind the sketchpad, almost out of Diego’s view. “Though I may have taken some artistic liberties.”  
  
“I swear to God Klaus if you’ve drawn me with my dick out, I will fucking end you.”   
  
“How dare you accuse me of infringing on your privacy!” Not trusting his brother, Diego leapt across the sofa and yanked the sketchpad out from his Klaus’ grasp, ignoring his vocal protests. What was on the paper was much tamer than he expected. He still had his pants on in the sketch, but was also sporting a cape, his mask and a rapier strapped to a belt.   
  
“Why am I dressed like Zorro?”  
  
“ _Because,_ ” Klaus said, as if that were a viable answer.   
  
“Is that… a nipple ring?” Diego raised a baffled eyebrow, unable to truly process what he was seeing. He knew Klaus was weird but… he wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended.   
  
Klaus shrugged and shrank back towards his side of the sofa, his cheeks actually tinting the lightest shade of pink. “I thought you’d look good with one. It turns out, I was right.”   
  
“I suppose I do look pretty good,” Diego finally concluded. Not that he would ever consider getting such a piercing. The thought of the needle alone was enough to send a shiver down his spine.   
  
“I know right!” Klaus chirped with glee. “Now, if you don’t mind, can I have my sketchpad back so I can finish shading your abs?”  
  
“Sure. But I’m only modelling for another twenty minutes as I have to go to bed, as unlike you, I have class tomorrow.”   
  
  
Twenty minutes turned into thirty, then forty, then fifty, until finally it had been an entire hour that had passed. That was when Diego put his foot down and told Klaus that he really needed to sleep. And so did he. The Séance wasn’t exactly being subtle when he tried to hide his yawns behind hums of concentration. When he’d finally managed to convince Klaus to retire to his bedroom, he himself did the same.   
  
Dressed in some old pyjamas (a rock-band tee and some sweatpants), Diego crawled into bed and turned on his alarm for tomorrow morning. He had only managed to close his eyes for about fifteen minutes before there was a soft, but impatient knock at his door.   
  
“You can come in,” he sighed. Klaus quietly opened the wooden threshold and shuffled into the moonlit room clutching at a unicorn plush.   
  
“Do you mind if I…” He didn’t get chance to finish his sentence as Diego was already holding up the blankets, to welcome his brother into his bed. With a thankful smile, Klaus clambered onto the mattress and settled down next to Diego, who promptly covered them both up. The Kraken then reached behind him to turn on the deep blue lava lamp, to add a bit of luminescence to the room. It wasn’t as good as Klaus’ fairy lights, but it should suffice in keeping his fear of the dark sedated.   
  
“Been a while since we last shared a bed,” Diego remarked, suppressing a yawn.   
  
“Sleeping alone kinda sucks right now. Can’t get warm for the life of me. Dead people really are the worst for climate control,” Klaus said, turning to his side so he could face his sibling directly. He rested his chin atop the unicorn’s rainbow mane and fiddled with its white synthetic legs. “Plus, I’m a bit worried that I might go disappearing again.”   
  
“Are these excuses your way of asking me to snuggle with you?”   
  
“Why, are you offering?” Klaus looked at him expectantly. His overly affectionate side was showing again, much to Diego’s amusement. Although Klaus never truly hid it, it was much more evident when he was cocooned inside a bunch of blankets.   
  
Diego rolled his eyes. “Come here.”   
  
Klaus nestled up to him like a lost kitten and Diego curled his arm around his waist, holding him close. As usual, his heart did a little jump and fluttered almost pleasantly. This was the only place he ever felt comfortable with physical contact – that and the occasional hug. Everything was private here. No one to judge. No one to care.   
  
“Did you really have to bring Princess Glitter Bomb with you?” Diego half complained, not quite enjoying the extra lump between them both.   
  
“Awww, you remembered his name.”   
  
“His?”  
  
“He’s gender non-conforming.”   
  
“Of course he is.”  
  
Klaus peeled the stuffed toy out from where it was squished and used its muzzle to boop Diego on the nose, letting out silly giggle when the Kraken looked entirely unimpressed.   
  
“You know I’m starting to regret winning that thing for you,” Diego said, shoving the fabric head away from himself. He remembered how Klaus’ face had lit up when he had spotted the dumb unicorn hanging from the prize shelf. He had tried to claim the toy for himself, but as the game was rigged to make success hard, he’d failed miserably. Diego however, had dominated the ring toss by fully utilizing his powers. At first he’d teased Klaus with it, pretending that he wanted to keep it for himself. It was only when they got home that Diego had snuck into Klaus’ room and left it atop his pillow ready for him to find. Back then he didn’t want the rest of his siblings thinking that he had a soft side. Not that that much had really changed.   
  
“That was such a fun day. I still can’t believe we all managed to successfully sneak out and go to the carnival,” Klaus said, all nostalgic. “Ben got so sick on the Waltzers.”  
  
“And Luther broke the high striker showing off for Allison,” Diego recalled.   
  
“He blew the bell right off!” Klaus laughed, mimicking the explosive sound the thing had made when it happened. “Didn’t Five steal us a bunch of cotton candy when the attendant wasn’t looking?”   
  
“He did yeah.” Those spatial blinks really came in handy that day.  
  
“Then we all went inside that haunted house. God I hated that. I think I screamed like six times. Although if I recall correctly, you did hold my hand.”   
  
“Only because you froze to the spot and that was the only way to get you to move,” Diego said, matter-o-factly. He felt his face heat up at that memory and he prayed that the room was dark enough for Klaus not to notice.   
  
“That’s true. I really couldn’t tell which images were real or which were special effects. The joys of being me,” Klaus said, woefully dramatic. A wave of sleepiness must have hit him then, as he rubbed his eyes and zoned out for a long second. “Why are you always so warm?”  
  
“I’m just average, it’s you that’s cold,” Diego replied. He noticed Klaus smirking before he felt icy feet burrow beneath the fabric of his pants and press up against his lower leg, causing him to flinch. “Christ Klaus. Do you mind?”  
  
“Like you said, I’m _cold_ ,” he said, playing coy. Klaus really was the only person Diego would ever let get away with such an annoying stunt.   
  
“Whatever.” He shook his head and murmured his next instruction. “Just go to sleep, Klaus.” For the first time since probably forever, Number Four actually did as he was told and closed his eyes. He must have been tired, as within a few minutes his breathing had softened and the tension in his body had faded. It was rare to see Klaus look peaceful in his sleep. Most of the time he suffered from nightmares that kept him restless and whimpering. But right now, he really was just still. _Tranquil._ Diego liked to think he could take credit for that. It was like Klaus’ subconscious knew he was safe and protected here, in his arms.   
  
Without really thinking, he reached out and brushed a stray curl from where it had fallen over Klaus’ forehead and placed a chaste kiss there instead.   
_  
Well… that was the strangest urge I’ve had in a while,_ Diego thought to himself, half cursing at how pathetic and out of character it was for him. He’d never been touchy-feely. Except maybe around Mom as her compassion was contagious. Still, he wasn’t sure why, but things were starting to feel different, sorta liberating. Maybe it was because they were finally away from the Academy, free to be who they really were – no longer Sir Reginald’s Number Two and Number Four. But Mom’s Diego and Klaus.   
  
It was a heartening notion. One that had Diego smiling to himself as he drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the incessant buzzing of his alarm that roused Diego from his slumber the next morning. Klaus stirred beside him and let out a tired groan, a noise that was immediately followed by a loud crash, as Klaus had decided to hurl Princess Glitter Bomb at the digital clock. The impact of the flying unicorn caused the ringing machine to plummet to the ground, where it became silent.   
  
“You owe me a new clock,” Diego muttered, not having to look over the bed to know that the thing was definitely broken.   
  
“Whatever.” Something about Klaus’ voice sounded off, raspy. It didn’t take long for Diego to understand why as Klaus sniffled and then started to cough.   
  
“You sound like you’ve caught a cold there, bud,” Diego said. Even though he was concerned, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He expected as much to happen, considering Klaus had slept outside in the freezing air in nothing but his underwear.   
  
“Screw you, Diego.” Klaus’ attempt to come across as pissed off fell short of the mark when he proceeded to sneeze quite delicately. Diego plucked a couple of tissues from the box he kept by the bed (for reasons) and handed them to his brother who used them to wipe his red tinted nose.   
  
“You should be thankful you didn’t catch pneumonia,” Diego added. He sat up and pressed the back of his hand against Klaus’ forehead, just to be sure. His brother seemed to have a fever, but it wasn’t anywhere near high enough to cause him worry.   
  
“I feel like I’ve snorted all of Princess Glitter Bomb’s stuffing,” Klaus mumbled, dragging himself into the seated position as well.   
  
“Wouldn’t be the worst thing you’ve snorted,” Diego said, cracking a grin.   
  
“Can you stop being morning sassy, please? I’m too exhausted to appreciate it.” The Séance slumped back against the headboard and massaged his temples. It did seem kinda unfair for him to only just be getting over the worst of his withdrawals to then be smacked with getting sick. But that was Klaus’ luck for you.   
  
“Right, I’m gonna go take a shower.” Diego climbed off his bed and woke up his muscles with a sequence of stretches. “Do you wanna stay here?”  
  
“That depends.”  
  
“On what?”  
  
Klaus looked right at him with a salacious smirk. “Whether or not I’m allowed to watch.”   
  
“Good to know illness hasn’t dampened your lewd side.” Diego still wasn’t sure whether or not Klaus was joking when he made unvirtuous remarks like this. Nevertheless, he always treated them like they were jokes, simply as the alternative was far beyond the complexity of what Diego was comfortable with dealing with.   
  
“Of course not, I am the epitome of scandalous and I pride myself on being able to maintain that image for the entirety of my life… and preferably death,” Klaus declared.   
  
“I don’t doubt that.”   
  
  
According to Diego, there was nothing better than a brisk shower in the morning to get energized for the day. That, as well as a good breakfast.   
  
“Hey, you hungry?” Diego asked, already halfway through boiling an egg. He had about two minutes left on the toast.   
  
“I want to curl up into a ball and let this couch consume me,” Klaus replied, which Diego took as a dramatic way of saying no. Ever since getting up his brother had regressed into what Diego would call his ‘whiny bitch mode’. He was feeling sorry for himself, swaddled up in a blanket and surrounded by a mound of tissues. Klaus had always been rather strange when it came to seeking sympathy. He’d hide his breakdowns, play off serious injuries as flesh wounds, try and act cool about near death experiences. But when he got mildly ill, for some reason, he just couldn’t handle the moderate inconvenience.   
  
“By God you are a drama queen,” Diego muttered. He picked out the crisp brown slices of bread as the toaster went off and placed them on a nearby plate to be cut into strips by the knife he was already messing with. Come to think of it, he must have been the only kid in the world that was encouraged to play with sharp objects growing up. Just like Klaus was encouraged to play with dead people. Sir Reginald Hargreeves really was a goddamn awful father.   
  
When his breakfast was complete, Diego put everything on a tray and took it over towards the couch to join Klaus, simply because he looked so miserable on his own.   
  
“Egg and soldiers? How cute,” Klaus teased.   
  
“Shut up.” His defensive tone only made his brother chuckle. Just because it was a breakfast made primarily for children, didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it. Eggs were a great source of protein and toast was a chock full of fiber. Besides, if anyone could be accused of being child-like right now, it was Klaus, _he_ was the one bundled up like a baby.   
  
With the tray balanced on his lap, Diego used his knife to crack open the egg shell. Inside was a golden gooey centre, perfect for dipping his soldiers. He went to pick up a slice of toast when a pale hand darted out and grabbed the piece he was aiming for before him. His expression merged into a complete deadpan as Klaus leant over him to dip his stolen slice into the rich egg yolk.   
  
“I thought you said you weren’t hungry?” Diego accused.   
  
“No, I said I wanted the couch to eat me, remember?” Klaus corrected, munching away on his small victory. Technically speaking, he was right. Diego grumbled under his breath, having begrudgingly accepted the fact that he was now going to have to share his breakfast. He didn’t mind all that much really. Klaus had barely eaten over the last few days, so to see that his appetite was back was reassuring.   
  
  
After finishing up breakfast and loading up the dishwasher (because Reggie really had been generous when it came to finding a place with appliances), Diego put on his boots, ready to leave for class.   
  
“You sure you’ll be all right on your own?” he asked. This would be the first time he’d left him in three days, so being hesitant was only natural.   
  
“I want to say yes, but I have trust issues when it comes to myself,” Klaus answered, following up with a pretty rough sounding cough.   
  
“Do you want me to stay?” Diego had to the put the offer on the table.   
  
“Are you offering to skip class for me, you bad boy?” The amusement on Klaus’ face was enough to make Diego roll his eyes. “As much as I’m flattered you’d inflate your self-proclaimed badass image for the likes of me, I’d much prefer you gain recognition as a model student.”   
  
“So what do we do?”  
  
“We compromise,” Klaus boldly answered. He gracefully rose from the sofa and headed over towards the corner of the room, where he finished his proposal. “By handcuffing me to this radiator here.” Like an imbecile, he went to pat the cast iron. His regret was instantaneous, as a sharp hiss escaped his lips and he promptly retracted his burnt hand. He then glared at the radiator, as if he were blaming the object for his own stupidity.   
  
“I don’t have any cuffs.” Diego crossed his arms, casually wondering if his brother did, in fact, have a brain up there.  
  
“Check the top drawer near my bed,” Klaus replied, his animosity towards the radiator already forgotten.   
  
Diego did as he was instructed and headed into Klaus’ room (which currently looked like an Arabian opioid den). It was only after he’d opened the drawer that he realized he should have mentally prepared himself first. Inside contained a shocking revelation about his brother, one that Diego was well aware of, but had buried deeply in the dark recesses of his mind. Trying not to recoil in whatever it was that he felt (disgust? Embarrassment? Some weird brand of curiousity?), he cautiously reached into the drawer, and plucked out the pair of handcuffs that were pressed in between two very explicit looking toys. One thing was for certain about _those_ , and it was that Diego vehemently didn’t want to imagine themin use.   
  
With the cuffs in hand, he slammed the drawer closed and shivered, vowing to never ever open that horrifying preview into Klaus’ sex life again. Running a hand down his face, he did what little he could to compose himself before heading back into the lounge. Klaus was waiting for him with a shit-eating grin, because of course he fucking _knew_ what was in there.   
  
“You’re an asshole, did you know that?” Diego glared daggers at his brother. “Thanks to you I’m scarred for life.”  
  
“Awwwh come on, Di, you can’t tell me you’ve never seen a dildo before.” Klaus laughed, and Diego wanted to strangle him.   
  
“Klaus, that wasn’t a fucking dildo. That was a goddamn jackhammer.” He pointed towards the bedroom for emphasis, still unable to truly process what he had seen.   
  
“What can I say? I like ‘em big.”   
  
“Please shut up.” He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. They always had very few boundaries between them, but fuck, this felt like it should be one of them.   
  
Having clearly noticed that he was pushing his luck, Klaus held his hands up as a gesture of goodwill to show Diego that he had finished teasing him. “OK, OK, I’m sorry. I suppose it was indecent of me to show you my intimate collection.”  
  
“You think?” Diego griped, still rather flustered.   
  
Klaus shrugged. “I honestly thought you’d find it funny.” It was then that Diego swore he saw disappointment flash across his brother’s features, right before his distinctive smile replaced it. “Now how about you come cuff this ungodly harlot.”   
  
“With pleasure,” Diego said. Klaus held out his right arm for attention and maintained a playful air as his wrist was tightly secured. “These look genuine.”   
  
“That’s because they are.”  
  
“How’d you manage to snag them?” Diego asked. When Klaus looked ready to divulge some filthy details, Diego figured that maybe he wasn’t so curious after all. Having changed his mind, he immediately raised his hand to cut his brother off. “You know what, don’t answer that.” He finished up by attaching the second cuff to a solid part of radiator. Klaus tugged at the restraint, to check if it were up to his standards of basically keeping him immobilized. It was.   
  
“All right, is there anything you need?” Diego questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.   
  
“A couple of cushions would be nice. Leaning against this wall is extremely bad for my posture. And a box of tissues, because having to use my sleeve is simply disgraceful. Also I would like my knitting needles and my CD player, so I can ignore uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco and seis.” He pointed towards random spots in the room that apparently contained a chatty spirit. “Yes, Ben that does in fact include you, well spotted.”  
  
Diego nodded and collected up everything that Klaus had asked for, along with his bright pink flip phone (with the rainbow stickers) and a bottle of peach flavoured water.   
  
“I’ll only be gone a couple of hours, but text if you need me,” Diego told him, starting to rush. Having checked the time, he’d realized that he only had just under ten minutes to get across campus and make it to his lecture. He was halfway towards unlocking the front door when Klaus suddenly let out a loud whine, prompting him to turn back around. “What is it?”  
  
“I need to pee.”   
  
  
Diego was the last one to turn up to class. And was about two minutes late – which was entirely Klaus’ bladder’s fault. The professor shot him a scolding look as he snuck up the steps towards his seat, trying not to appear too sheepish. Patch offered him a smile as he slid into the seat beside her.  
  
“Busy morning?” she asked, keeping her tone hushed to not disturb the rest of the students.   
  
Diego grunted in response, as he got out his notebook and pens, “You could say that.”   
  
“Let me guess, Klaus?”   
  
“Got it in one.”   
  
“Been with him all weekend. He’s err… kinda a junkie.” Even though it was true, Diego never really liked using that word to describe his brother, for it had connotations with descriptors like trash, worthless and scum. All words that he never wanted to associate with him. “He’s been going cold turkey to try and get off the drugs and had some kind of delirious episode or something that had him go on a nightly stroll in nothing but his underwear. So now he’s sick. And driving me crazy.” It felt good to unload. After spending an entire three-days with only Klaus for company, he’d been almost desperate to talk to another human. Especially one he was fond of.   
  
“Ahhh I see.” Patch nodded, scribbling down some notes on the lesson. Diego should have probably been doing the same, but right now he was too restless to really concentrate. “Kind of a wild one that brother of yours.”  
  
“My entire family is pretty wild,” he snorted.   
  
“Oh?” Patch’s curiousity had been peaked.   
  
“I have six siblings. Two sisters and four brothers,” Diego clarified. It was still strange to have to go through this, as at one point in their lives they were nationally famous. Funny how quick their time in the spotlight had entirely faded.   
  
“Do you want to tell me more about them?” she asked.   
  
“Shouldn’t we be paying attention to class?”   
  
“I can multi-task, and you sound like you need to talk.”   
  
Diego couldn’t argue with that. Already this woman knew him so well. “Well uhhh, to start with I should probably tell you we were all adopted. And we’re all the exact same age. Born October 1st, 1989.”  
  
“That’s rather specific.”  
  
“Yeah. Our dad was a real nutcase.” Diego didn’t feel like revealing their origin story much more than that, so instead he moved on. “There’s Luther, who acts like the eldest. He’s kinda a prick. Me and him have been at each other’s throats for as long as I can remember. Then there’s Allison. She’s kinda a bit full of herself at times, but she’s always been the most responsible out of all of us. She’s got her own life now, aiming for the big screen. Next is Klaus, who you’ve seen. He’s basically a walking disaster.” It hit him then that he was listing them all in number order. “My brother Five went missing when we all thirteen. He was a snarky fucker that seemed to take joy in making everyone else feel inferior. Do kinda wish he’d come back though.”   
  
“I’m sorry,” Patch uttered, resting a supportive hand on his shoulder.   
  
“My other brother Ben died five years ago as well. Him I definitely miss. He was always the most thoughtful of us all, this goofy little bookworm. He didn’t deserve to go the way that he did.” Diego felt a pain in his chest as he remembered Ben’s funeral, how much it hurt to understand that he’d never get to see or talk to him again. Even if his brother still lingered in spirit form, it didn’t fill the void that was let behind. “And lastly is Vanya. She’s always been the sorta outcast, never quite fitting in with the rest of us. Looking back, I regret not talking to her as much as I should of, as now I barely see her at all.”   
  
“That’s one hell of a family history…” Patch said, having been listening intently. “Though it does explain a lot about you, Diego.”   
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
“How you are with Klaus. You’re afraid of losing him like you have the rest of your siblings.” Diego frowned suspiciously. “Are you profiling me?”   
  
She shrugged. “I’m a criminology major. It’s what we do.”   
  
“Klaus needs me,” he argued. If it weren’t for him, he was certain Klaus would be dead in a ditch somewhere. He’d already lost two brothers, he wasn’t ever going to lose a third, especially when he could do something about it.   
  
“And you need him.”   
  
Diego wasn’t sure that was true. At least not until he sat back in his chair and stubbornly thought about it. There had been times when their roles had been reversed. Plenty of times in fact. Like when Diego would get sick from being locked inside an ice-cold water chamber, during their father’s experiments on how long he could hold his breath in harsher conditions. Klaus had always been so overly attentive when it came to nursing him back to health, even more so than Mom. He never left his side. Would keep trying to feed him soup. Insisted that they played board games together. Made sure that he took his medicine regularly. And ultimately proved that he was capable of responsibility.   
  
It was the same when he’d get injured. Klaus was always ready to hold his hand under the table whenever Mom had to stitch up a wound. There was never any teasing about that, nor was it ever verbally mentioned. Klaus knew how terrified he was of needles and how self-conscious it made him. So it remained their un-talked about little secret, one that Diego had always appreciated.   
  
Klaus had covered for him a lot, too. Diego had caused many expensive accidents while he was still learning how to use his powers. The number of occasions in which Klaus stood there and bold face lied to Sir Reginald on his behalf was astounding. His brother had always said it was in exchange for all the times he’d kept quiet about him sneaking into his bed, or when he’d caught him breaking into their dad’s liquor cabinet, but Diego always thought there was more to it than that. Evoking their father’s wrath was never a pleasant experience, even for Klaus who was so used to it.   
  
It was too bad that Diego showed most of his gratitude back then by being a dick (because Klaus really was a gullible kid), which he supposed was why he was making up for it now.   
  
“Do you have any siblings?” Diego decided to ask.   
  
Patch shook her head. “Only child.”  
  
“Can’t tell if that’s lucky or not,” he said.   
  
“It’s lonely.”   
  
  
Diego talked idly with Patch for the rest of lecture and the one after, enjoying finding out titbits of information about her that he could add to his ever-growing collection. She wanted to be a detective to follow in her father’s footsteps, which was a noble sentiment. The man had died during a mass shooting at a mall, where he managed to save half a dozen people, making him her hero. She was eight at the time. It was the same reason she carried a rabbit’s foot on her keyring. It used to belong to her father, who kept it on him for good luck. She never considered herself all that superstitious, but it was a comfort to stroke whenever she thought about her dad.   
  
“So, do you want to grab a coffee or something?” Patch asked, right after they were dismissed by their professor.   
  
“Sure, but it’ll have to be a to-go thing. I left my brother handcuffed to a radiator, so I should probably check up on him.”  
  
“I suppose it’s good practice for when you join the force,” she chuckled.  
  
“Oh God… I just realized I’ll probably have to arrest Klaus for real one day.” That thought was both hilarious and gut-wrenching. Diego just hoped it would be for shoplifting, rather than drugs.   
  
  
The pair headed towards the Starbucks that was situated on the campus grounds (because students basically survived off caffeine). It had been a while since Diego last had a store-bought drink. It was Five who was the one that was _obsessed_ with a good coffee. To Diego, all the stuff tasted pretty much the same, so buying shit that was this overpriced rarely appealed to his more economic nature.   
  
Diego approached the barista and gave him his order: A Chai Cream Frappuccino with almond milk and coconut whipped cream for Klaus, and a triple espresso for himself, because he didn’t need all that fancy crap. And neither did Patch, apparently, as she settled on a latte.   
  
With their drinks in hand, they left the store and headed across campus.  
  
“Thanks for getting my drink, by the way,” Patch said, taking a small sip from her paper cup.   
  
“No problem.” Diego offered her a small smile. “I was just thinking, you could come over to my place and meet Klaus, officially. I can’t imagine he made that great of an impression on you at the party with all that inappropriate grinding.”   
  
“At least seventy percent of the party were inappropriately grinding, so I held off on judging him too harshly,” she said, smiling back. “Though, I really would love to meet him.”   
  
“Just be warned, he’s not really at his best at the moment, though saying that the bar is generally pretty low for–” he cut himself off, having noticed Patch had come to a sudden halt. She’d spotted something that had caught her interest.   
  
“Hey, I wonder what’s going on over there?” She motioned her head towards a flock of people all crowded around a particular section of field. Diego’s eyebrows knitted as the cogs in his brain began to turn and turn, until he realized why the area looked so damn familiar.   
  
“Shit.” Heart beating fast, he impatiently handed the tray of drinks to his partner and bolted towards the crowd, having to push and shove his way through all the gawking faces. He reached the centre and was briefly stunned by what he saw happening. Klaus was on his hands and knees in the dirt, frantically digging up the ground. He seemed in a trance, muttering the same phrase over and over under his breath like some freaky mantra. If that weren’t startling enough, there was blood dripping down his swollen right hand as he continued to use it without any indication of pain.   
  
Diego dropped to his knees beside him and clutched his brother’s shoulders in an attempt to seize his attention. “Klaus, look at me.”   
  
His plea went unheard as the Séance continued to stare hypnotically at the ground and remained digging. “Find me… find me… find me…”  
_  
_“Find who, Klaus?” Diego asked, desperate. He went to grab hold of his brother’s arms in an attempt to prevent him causing further injury. But as soon as his fingers came into contact with Klaus’ bare skin he hissed and instinctively pulled away. Klaus was _deathly cold._ Like a corpse. As soon as the initial shock wore off, Diego repeated his previous action.“Come on, bud, you gotta snap outta this. You’re scaring me.”   
  
Diego wasn’t sure if it were his words finally getting through, or the fact that Klaus was physically unable to continue his task, that caused the full body spasm that snapped his brother out of his stupor and ended with him collapsing into Diego’s arms. The next few moments felt like an eternity, as the Kraken found himself unable to breathe. But sure enough, Klaus finally came to, confused, disorientated, and trembling like a leaf.   
  
“Di…ego?” he muttered.   
  
“It’s OK, I’m here. You’re all right.” With a wave of relief, Diego drew his brother close to his chest and buried his fingers in his brown curls.   
  
“Di… why are there a bunch of people here?”   
  
“Shit.” Diego had forgotten about their audience.   
  
Klaus spoke his next question through great difficulty, due to sharp gasps. “And why the fuck does my hand feel like it’s on fire?”   
  
Diego hadn’t forgotten about that though. “Let’s just get you outta here, okay?” He didn’t wait for a response as he helped an unsteady Klaus to his feet, curling his good arm over his shoulders so he could lean on him for support.   
  
As he turned to walk away, Diego spotted Patch in the crowd doing her best to shoo away the ogling bystanders. She managed to clear them a path and followed behind while Diego half-carried his brother across campus.   
  
  
The first thing Diego noticed entering the apartment, was the blood. It was everywhere, speckles of it tracking across the floor, from the door all the way to the radiator, where the red stains became more violent. The cuffs were still hanging there, covered in gore, and periodically dripping crimson. This was going to be a nightmare to clean up.   
  
Diego helped Klaus towards the sofa, where he unceremoniously collapsed. Pale and exhausted, he held his injured arm close to his chest, while the other was clutching at the hem of his shirt, clearly in an attempt to conceal the pain he was in.   
  
“Patch, there’s a first-aid kit in the bathroom under the sink, do you mind grabbing it for me?” Diego asked, trying to remain level-headed. She nodded and made a beeline for it. Meanwhile Diego crouched down in front of his brother, aiming to distract him. He glanced around the room for something that would do the trick, then spotted the drinks that Patch had left on the coffee table. He grabbed the Frappuccino and held it out for Klaus, who’s eyes immediately lit up.  
  
“Is that…?”   
  
“Your favourite, yes. Chai Cream Frappuccino with almond milk and coconut cream,” Diego specified.  
  
“You remembered my dietary requirements!”  
  
“Of course I remember the fact you’re lactose intolerant, Klaus.” Diego deadpanned. It was funny really, Klaus was more than willing to shoot himself up with heroin or snort a line of coke off a toilet seat in a sleazy bar, but God forbid he consume a dairy product that slightly upsets his stomach.   
  
With a delighted squeal, Klaus took his sweet and spicy nightmare of a drink and began slurping it through the straw. “Who’s your lady friend?”   
  
“Huh?” Diego had temporarily blanked, too focused on making sure Klaus was preoccupied to notice that Patch had returned to his side and was holding the first-aid kit along with a bowl of warm water and a dishcloth. “Oh, thanks.”   
  
“I’m Eudora Patch. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Klaus. I’ve heard a lot about you.”  
  
“Bad things, I hope?” Klaus wiggled his eyebrows with a mischievous grin. “Oh, now I remember you, you were playing darts with my brother. You know he cheats, right?”   
  
“Klaus,” Diego warned. He shared a look with his sibling that silently told him to hold his tongue on that matter as Diego had yet to reveal anything abnormal about their family. Klaus seemed to have gotten the point as he deliberately went back to sipping his drink. “I’m going to take a look at your hand now, okay?”  
  
Klaus covered a cough in the crook of his elbow, before holding out his right arm. It must have been extremely tender as soon as Diego brushed even his fingertips against his dirt encrusted flesh, Klaus was wincing. Diego apologized on instinct.   
  
“I’m gonna have to clean it,” he said. It was hard to see the damage with all he soil in the way. It was also not smart to leave dirt on an open wound. He reached the bowl on the coffee table and wrung out the cloth before gently dabbing it against Klaus’ skin. The Séance grimaced and diverted his attention to excessively chewing on the straw in his mouth.   
  
The dirt cleaned away, Diego swallowed thickly at the sight of Klaus’ arm and the damage he had done. His wrist was swollen and misshapen, thumb clearly dislocated, and the skin around his hand had been torn deeply, caused by what Diego assumed was excessive struggling.   
  
“I must have been determined, huh?” Klaus uttered, shying away from looking at his injury head on. Each breath he took was getting shorter and more brittle, like he was hardcore trying to hide the fact that he was actually in agony.   
  
“Yeah. This is pretty bad. We’re gonna have to go A&E, bud.”   
  
“Really? I hate hospitals.” Klaus pouted, mask finally crumbling away. “Why does all the weird shit always have to happen to me?”


	8. Chapter 8

“Thanks for tagging along,” Diego said, glad of Patch’s company. He was antsy here, his knee having yet to stop jerking. Waiting for his brother to finish being seen to was much more stressful than he thought it would be. He was worried for Klaus, far more than usual. Hospitals really were one of his triggers. Not only were they full of nearly every drug imaginable, but also full of dead people.  
  
“No problem.” Patch smiled. “Does your brother suffer from sleepwalking often?”  
  
Diego shook his head, without thinking. “I’m pretty sure it was something else.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Uhhh…” The Kraken cursed himself. So much for keeping his identity a secret. But there was no way Patch was going to back down from this line of questioning, especially not with that intrigued glint in her eyes. He unfolded his arms and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, wondering how he was going to break the truth to her. “Klaus and I are… well, we’re special. And that’s not me trying to brag. We are – or were – sorta like superheroes growing up.”  
  
“The Séance and the Kraken, right?”  
  
“Wait. What?” Diego’s eyes widened. “How’d you know?”  
  
Patch shook her head in amusement. “I want to be a detective, Diego. I would be a pretty poor one if I couldn’t work out that you’re two of the famous Umbrella Academy kids, especially after you flaunted your beyond human precision skills. That wasn’t exactly subtle.”  
  
Diego slumped back in his seat, debating how much of an idiot he was. Answer: 100%. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But if you knew, why didn’t you say anything?”  
  
“Because I figured it wasn’t something you wanted to talk about. And to be honest, I never really thought the Umbrella Academy was all that cool.”  
  
Diego snorted, “That makes two of us.”  
  
“But I am curious as to why you don’t think that your brother was sleepwalking,” Patch said, getting back on track to the mystery that she wanted to solve. Diego couldn’t help but admire that. She was definitely going to make a great detective one day, for sure.  
  
“Something like this has happened before, when we were kids.” Diego hadn’t linked the dots until the second time he caught Klaus, figuring the first time was just some weird symptom of his withdrawals. But seeing him in the same spot again, chanting and repeating an action without any awareness to pain, like he wasn’t in control of his own body. Like something cold and angry was inside him, pulling the strings. “There was an incident when we were about eleven. We were on a mission that was out of state, so we were all staying at this old guy’s house. Klaus started exhibiting some weird behaviour there, almost like he was sleepwalking. Every night, like clockwork, he’d go to the basement and start swinging a sledgehammer at the stone wall down there. He was a scrawny kid – not much has changed there – so he’d wake up the entire house after a whack or two and our father would get up and angrily drag him away from his task while he kicked and screamed. He’d never had any memory of this the next morning.”  
  
“I’m assuming there was something behind that wall?” Patch said, listening intently.  
  
“Yeah, a corpse. Klaus went berserk on night four and stabbed our host with a knife in attempt to kill him. Our dad had Klaus tied up and interrogated, and it turned out he was being possessed by the wife’s spirit, who was trying to get revenge for her murder. Needless to say, it wasn’t a very pleasant experience for Klaus.”  
  
“That sounds pretty awful,” Patch agreed. She contemplated a moment, stroking her thumb across the rabbit’s paw that was attached to the keyring poking out her pocket. “Do you think he was trying to dig up a body?”  
  
“That was my thought exactly.” That whole ‘find me’ was a pretty big give away if he was honest. “Do you think you can get your hands on a shovel by tonight?”  
  
“I can check the hardware store,” Patch replied. He’d do it himself, but he had babysitting duty. Klaus was going to be needing extra attention from this point on, and he doubted he’d be A-Okay with being dragged out into town after this fiasco.  
  
  
It was another two and half hours before Klaus finally emerged with a brand-new cast on his wrist and a big grin on his face.  
  
“Heeeey, Brother.” He catapulted himself against Diego and wrapped his arms tightly around his neck. “And hello to you… I wanna say Patches? Am I close?”  
  
“Just Patch.”  
  
Diego let out a sigh, recognizing this overly affectionate behaviour. “You’re high aren’t you?”  
  
“Prescription painkillers, Di. I fractured my wrist in three different places. The X-Ray was glorious. They had to reset the bone; you know? I feel like that was a _worthy_ enough reason to abandon my sobriety,” Klaus said, talking a little too fast and swaying on his feet.  
  
“Yeah, it is,” Diego had to agree. As much as it sucked that he’d basically reset his progress, it would have been much worse to watch him suffering. Klaus had a high pain threshold, but even Diego knew that dealing with a recently broken bone without meds was killer. And like Klaus said, it was a nasty break. Not to mention, this probably worked in their favour. Klaus’ powers didn’t operate when he was high, which meant no more possession.  
  
“God, sometimes it feels like the world just loves causing me pain,” Klaus said, laughing almost hysterically. His volume was starting to attract the attention of nearby patients, highly unimpressed patients. “Do you know what? I’m craving pizza. Can we get pizza?”  
  
“We can get pizza, Klaus. Just keep your voice down, we’re in a hospital waiting room.”  
  
  
After dropping off Patch in town, Diego drove them past a fast-food joint (that catered to Klaus’ dairy free needs) and picked them up a couple of pizzas for them to take home.   
  
“It looks like a crime scene in here,” Klaus commented, purposely stepping round the trail of blood to plonk himself down on the sofa.  
  
“And who’s fault is that?” Diego replied, doing the same. Cleaning up was a problem to be dealt with _after_ he’d eaten. He checked the top pizza box, turned his nose up at the olives and handed it over to Klaus. Those little black balls were fucking disgusting.  
  
“Well, it’s not mine. I claim plausible deniability.”  
  
“That only counts where this is no clear evidence to prove involvement,” Diego clarified, digging into a slice of his pepperoni. Technically speaking, they had a shitload of evidence. His DNA was literally all over the scene.   
  
Klaus shrugged. “I think I’m a unique case. I wasn’t the one behind the wheel.”  
  
The Kraken paused in his chewing. “You know?”  
  
“I sorta figured as much. I didn’t remember much the first-time round, but the second…” Klaus looked down at his lap, to his untouched food, struggling to find his next words. “Being possessed is like being trapped inside a pitch-black dream. Like you’re aware of your own consciousness floating around, but it’s not attached to anything. You’re just a disembodied voice screaming into this frozen void.”  
  
“That sounds terrifying,” Diego uttered, appetite wavering a little. He didn’t want to imagine that. Hell, he wasn’t even sure that he _could_.  
  
“Luckily, most ghosts can’t pull a stunt like that. They gotta be real pissed,” Klaus added. He then glanced at his broken wrist, took a long, dreary breath, and continued. “They are also the kind of spirits that have no respect for the vehicle they’re taking for a joy ride.”  
  
The sight of a sullen Klaus had Diego intuitively shuffling closer to his brother. When the proximity didn’t help, he playfully elbowed him in the ribs. “I suppose you like to be present when someone takes you for a ride, huh?”  
  
That little quip earnt him an amazed gasp. “Dear me, Diego, was that a sex joke?”  
  
“You make it sound like I’m incapable of being dirty.” Diego half-frowned. He was most certainly _not_ a prude.  
  
“No, I just thought you were incapable around _me_.”  
  
“Only because I never want to encourage you. You have a one-track mind, Bro. You see something that’s even remotely shaped like a dick and you’re already purring.”  
  
“You make me sound like such a whore.”  
  
“You _are_ a whore, Klaus.”  
  
“True. But still.” Klaus’ mock offense lasted for about five seconds before they both started to chuckle. Diego always knew how to cheer his brother up, and nothing worked better than scooping down to his level of salacity. Klaus openly flaunted his libido. He always had. Diego used to think that he was overcompensating, using vulgarity to distract everyone from his other, freakier side. But as it turned out, Klaus just really loved to engage is sexual activities and was unashamed to admit it.  
  
  
Mopping up the apartment was a nightmare. Who knew that blood stains were so hard to scrub clean? Diego sure fucking didn’t.  
  
“This is the absolute worst.” Diego pressed the back of his hand to his nose in a vain attempt to prevent further choking. He really wished Mom were here right now, she’d take care of all this with ease. God, he missed her.   
  
“Don’t be so dramatic, Di, it’s just bleach fumes. Besides, you can always think of it as a breath holding exercise.” Klaus grinned. He was sprawled out on the sofa, fiddling with the dreamcatcher pendant that hung from his neck.  
  
“Go fuck yourself,” Diego sneered.  
  
“Don’t tempt me. You know I’m imagining you in a French Maid’s outfit right now.” His brother’s casual tone really didn’t match up to his bawdy words.  
  
Diego brushed over the comment, filing it in his brain as ‘classic pervy Klaus’. “Tell me again why the fuck you’re not helping?” He knew really that his brother was in no state to be performing manual labour, he was just being petty.  
  
“Because I’m crippled and sick.” Klaus vaguely motioned to the mountain of tissues he’d stockpiled on the coffee table. “And I agreed to joining you on one of your slog-fest movie marathons instead.”  
  
Being reminded of that, Diego got back to work. He was rather looking forward to introducing Klaus to something that he found interesting for once. Usually, it was the other way around. The amount of times they’d gone the cinema, just to watch whatever Klaus wanted. Or the amount of times they’d gone shopping, just to end up in all the clothing stores. He was such a pushover when it came to the Séance and he knew it.  
  
It took what felt like forever, for Diego to remove the blood stains and fumigate the apartment from the sharp mixture of iron and bleach. For the first time ever, he had willingly lit one of his brother’s exceedingly fragrant scented candles. Admittedly, he supposed the jasmine one didn’t smell so bad.  
  
“So, what are we watching?” Klaus questioned, already sounding bored.  
  
“The Lord of the Rings.” It was a movie series that Diego was fond of as it contained everything he enjoyed in a movie: action, adventure, big-ass battles. And a notion he resonated with on a personal level, which in this case was: an unlikely group of heroes that banded together to save the world.  
  
“Sounds dull.”  
  
“Oh, I think you’ll like it.” Diego slipped in the disk and took his spot on the couch, flicking the play button on the remote. He was in the middle of trying to get comfy when Klaus decided to use his lap as a pillow.   
  
Diego glanced down at him with a cocked eyebrow. “Really?”  
  
“Need I remind you again, that I’m sick?” Klaus upped his theatrics with a fake cough that ended up causing a real one. Diego rolled his eyes, deciding not to protest any further, lest his dumbass brother think it necessary to prove any more points that would inevitably cause him harm.  
  
“Buckle up, bud, and prepare yourself for a majestic-ass movie,” he said instead.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get this over with.”  
  
  
Diego wasn’t sure at which point he started mindlessly combing his fingers through Klaus’ curls. Or at which point his brother actually started paying attention to the screen and even looked _engrossed._ But he was sure that it had something to do with the reason(s) he thought Klaus would enjoy it in the first place. His hunch was proven correct pretty soon after, when Klaus next spoke.  
  
“I’d totally let Aragorn bone me. All that rogue rugged energy.” He visibly shivered. “Hot.”  
  
“Called it,” Diego muttered to himself.  
  
“I’d also one-hundred-percent be down for a Fellowship orgy,” Klaus then added, as an afterthought.  
  
“With Gandalf?”  
  
“Older guys are still sexy, Di.”  
  
“And the hobbits?”  
  
“It’s not about size, it’s about how you use it.”  
  
Diego snorted out a laugh and tapped his brother on the cheek. “You’re a freak.”  
  
“What about you?” Klaus asked, gazing up at him with curiosity. “If you had to bang one the Fellowship members, who would it be?”  
  
Diego pondered the question for a moment. If hypothetically, he had no choice but to sleep with a man, and that man had to be one of the members of the Fellowship, it would have to be…  
  
“Legolas,” he answered. Orlando Bloom wasn’t exactly _not_ attractive. Diego liked to think he was predominantly straight, but he imagined most dudes would swing for a good-looking blond elf.  
  
“Ohhh, you like the pretty boys.” Klaus smirked at that.  
  
Diego shifted, but played off his discomfort with a nonchalant shrug. “I suppose so.”  
  
“I’m a pretty boy, too, Diego. Would you fuck me?”  
  
The Kraken choked on his next breath; heart having leapt into his throat. _Well that was fucking subtle._ “Klaus, I think these pain meds are screwing up your judgement – more so than usual. Last I checked, we’re brothers.”  
  
Klaus heaved out a thwarted sigh. “I’ll take that as a no.”   
  
“Klaus.” Diego frowned.  
  
“I’ve dated twins before. It’s no big deal. We’re not even related.”  
  
“Just because you’re morally compromised, doesn’t mean I am.” He wasn’t sure why Klaus was trying to justify himself, when usually his risqué nature was not taken seriously.   
  
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just… I guess I’m just me.” For once, he actually sounded ashamed by that. Plastering his signature smile on his face, he sat up and scooted away from Diego back to his own side of the couch.  
  
“You okay?” Diego asked. He couldn’t help but feel like he’d said something wrong.  
  
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Klaus answered, sounding just that little bit curt.  
  
“Just surprised you moved.”  
  
“Oh that? Yeah. I was getting sleepy lying down like that and I wanna finish watching this movie, which I suppose, isn’t as awful as I expected it to be.”  
  
  
Despite what he had said, Klaus was fidgety for the rest of the film. Unlike before, his attention seemed to wander from the screen, like he was watching, but not taking it in. Diego had found it hard to focus as well, too busy observing his brother out of the corner of his eye. His pensive expression, the way his left hand spent most of its time buried in his own hair, restively tugging at his curls. Something was bothering him, that much was for certain.  
  
Whatever it was, Klaus seemed to have made peace with it, as after taking another dose of his painkillers, he’d shuffled back up to Diego and rested his head on his shoulder. By the half-way mark of the Two Towers, he had gotten drowsy. And by the end of it, he was dozing.  
  
Not wanting to disturb his brother, Diego had decided to forgo the third instalment of the series and instead turned on the TV. There wasn’t really much on, but he had settled on some crime documentary about famous serial killers, which was exactly what he watched for the next two hours, until late evening rolled around.  
  
With Klaus still asleep against his shoulder, Diego was careful as he pulled out his cellphone and scrolled to find Patch’s contact details, knowing that she’d want to be involved in this. He sent her a text to meet him outside their apartment complex in half an hour, ready to do a bit of detective work. When she confirmed their plans, Diego woke his brother up.  
  
Klaus groaned as he came to, “Ughh, why did you wake me, Di? I was having such a compelling dream about sentient chocolate pudding.”  
  
“Because we have to go somewhere,” Diego answered, shaking off the thought to ask about the sentient chocolate pudding.  
  
“What? Right now? It’s dark out and I’m tired,” Klaus complained. The pout on his face lasted mere seconds while he sunk further into the sofa, until like a switch, it was replaced by intrigue. “Unless we’re going to a nightclub. Are we going to a nightclub, Diego?”  
  
“We’re not going to a nightclub, Klaus. We’re going for a walk.” He figured it best not to bring up the details just yet.  
  
“Oh? Where to?”  
  
“Just, put on something warm, will you?”  
  
Klaus did as he was told and slipped on his long coat with the faux fur lining, while Diego opted for one of his leather jackets.  
  
“Do you need help tying your shoes?” Diego asked, amused by the sight of his brother muttering curses under his breath as he attempted to do the task himself.  
  
“No, no, I can do it,” Klaus replied, adamant. Diego folded his arms and waited, wondering how long it would take for his sibling to finally crack. His stubbornness didn’t get him very far as his fingers continued to lose grasp on the laces, subsequently making him miss his knots. When Klaus yelled and flung his left shoe across the room, Diego knew it was again time to step in.  
  
“Just sit down and let me do it, dumbass,” he said, picking up the thrown converse. Klaus let out an obstinate huff and perched himself on the sofa. “You could have picked shoes without laces you know?”  
  
“Yeah, but none of those match my outfit,” Klaus replied, finally allowing his brother to finish the job for him.  
  
“So you’d much rather suffer and look good?” Diego was fairly certain his brother was a complete and total moron.  
  
“Definitely.”  
  
“That does explain why you often wear those obscenely tight pleather pants.” There was no way he didn’t suffer in those. Especially where it counted. They did make his legs look sleek and long though…  
  
Klaus shrugged. “Comfort is overrated.”  
  
“If you say so.”  
  
With the task of ensuring Klaus was appropriately dressed for the outdoors complete, Diego grabbed his keys off the hook, right as something colourful came flying at his face. He caught it mid-air, to see that it was the ridiculous scarf that Klaus had been knitting, now completed.  
  
“I’m not wearing this,” Diego stated.  
  
“Why not?” Klaus sulked.  
  
“Because…” He tried to think of a good enough excuse that wouldn’t totally obliterate his brother’s feelings. “It’s not my style.”  
  
“The colour black is not a style, Di.”  
  
Diego stared down his brother, contemplating the pros and cons of wearing the scarf.  
  
_Pro: Klaus would stop pulling that kicked puppy expression._ _  
__Con: He would look like a fucking idiot._ _  
__Pro: Not wearing it might negatively impact Klaus’ love for knitting._ _  
__Con: He would look like a fucking idiot._ _  
__Pro: It would make Klaus_ happy _._ _  
__Pro: Diego cared about Klaus’ feelings._ _  
__Pro: It didn’t matter if he looked like an idiot._ _  
_  
“All right, fine.” Diego caved and wrapped the length of wool around his neck. He knew he’d made the right choice when Klaus clapped with glee. Or at least, attempted to. Sufficiently warm, the pair headed downstairs and waited for Patch.  
  
She turned up five minutes earlier than expected, with a shovel in hand and a determined look about her.  
  
Klaus eyed the tool suspiciously. “You’re not planning on killing me and burying me somewhere, right? If so, can I at least get changed first? I’d rather die in something nicer than this.” He gestured towards his outfit which was considerably less bold than usual.  
  
“As much as it would bring me some much-needed peace and quiet, I don’t plan on offing you tonight, Diego teased. “Though I promise, if I ever intend to murder you, I’ll let you know in advance so you can be a glamourous corpse.”  
  
“Awwwh, thanks.” Only Klaus Hargreeves could take that as a legitimate compliment. Shaking his head, Diego politely took the heavy shovel off of Patch and started walking. He was ahead for only a moment before Patch caught up and kept pace with his stride. Klaus on the other hand, stayed a little off to the side, playfully hopping between the slabs of concrete, avoiding the cracks in the pavement. It was a habit that Diego remembered he’d picked up from when they were seven and he’d convinced him that stepping on a one would make his hair fall out. He really had believed him for the longest time. Though obviously now, Klaus just did it for fun.   
  
“Nice scarf, by the way.” Patch motioned towards the item of clothing with a subtle grin.  
  
“Uhhh… yeah…” Diego sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, trying not to act too embarrassed. “Klaus err… made it for me.”  
  
“Yes! I knitted it myself!” his brother declared, jumping out in front of them with the upmost pride. His beaming smile was a nice reminder for Diego to why he was sacrificing his dignity.   
  
Patch let out a fond chuckle at the sight of the pair’s differing reactions to showing brotherly love. “That’s sweet of you,” she said to Klaus. “And it’s sweet of you to wear it,” she then said to Diego.  
  
  
It struck Klaus what they were up to when they reached their destination. Shoulders slumped, he wearily groaned out his complaint, “Are we seriously here to dig up a corpse?”  
  
“That’s the idea, yeah.” Diego said, right before Klaus’ words hit him. “Wait. How’d you know there is someone down there?”  
  
“I don’t. It just seems like the most reasonable conclusion. I mean, I doubt this angry ghosty possessed me into trying to dig up their collection of lipstick smothered Backstreet Boys posters.” Klaus waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave, clearly having absolutely no interest in this endeavour. Not that he had much of a choice, as he’d barely even made it one step before Diego had grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn back around.  
  
“Klaus, we can’t just leave a dead body buried under campus grounds,” Diego said, pointing towards the mass of disturbed ground like it was their duty to uncover it.  
  
“Sure we can.”  
  
“We owe it to whomever this is to give them a proper burial.”  
  
Klaus scoffed at that, “We don’t owe them _shit_ , Diego _._ ”  
  
“Look, I get that you’re pretty pissed about the whole possession thing, but think about it from their point of view? Wouldn’t it suck to be left out here to rot? For all we know this person has family out there that don’t even know they’re dead.”  
  
“You’re preaching to the wrong person here, Di,” Klaus said, getting riled up. It was then that Diego was reminded that this truly was a touchy subject for his brother. His frustration was deep-rooted, built up over years and years of invaded privacy, pounding headaches and constant fear.  
  
With that in mind, the Kraken exhaled and chose his next words more carefully. “You’re right, this isn’t our job. But it’s my job to look after you, and I can bet as soon as you get sober again, this ghost or whatever, is going to be coming right back for your scrawny ass.”  
  
Klaus looked at Diego, then at an empty spot to his side, and after a few moments of deliberation held up his hands and sighed. “Fine. If you wanna dig this corpse up so bad, knock yourself out.”  
  
“All right. You two keep a look out, make sure we don’t attract any unwanted attention,” Diego instructed. It was late out on a weekday, so he wasn’t worried too much.  
  
  
It was tiring work, digging up a grave. He was an hour and a half in and already he was exhausted. But at least he’d made good progress.  
  
“Do you need me to swap with you?” Patched asked, tossing him the water bottle that she had been responsible enough to bring along (thank God one of them thought ahead).  
  
“Naaah, I got this.” Diego unscrewed the cap and took a long swig, grateful for the sweet relief of the cool liquid moistening his dry throat.  
  
“He’s just trying to show off, prove he’s all macho,” Klaus commented, offhand. He picked another wild daisy from the ground beside him and added it to the chain he was assembling. Already, he had made himself a crown, now he seemed to be working on a necklace. “He knows he looks good all hot and sweaty. I give him another ten minutes before he takes off his shirt.”  
  
“Klaus, stop being inappropriate,” Diego said. He chucked the water bottle at his brother to both shut him up and to help with the coughing fit he’d suddenly been ravaged by. His short break over, Diego got back to work.  
  
About ten minutes later, the Kraken was indeed hit with the urge to take off his shirt to cool off. But as he wasn’t about to give Klaus the satisfaction of being right, so he instead just stubbornly powered through the heat. Meanwhile, Patch and Klaus continued to chat animatedly with one another. They seemed to have hit off the moment she’d given him a pack of menthol scented tissues and he’d hugged her in thanks. Currently, he was telling her a story about the time he’d taken LSD at a petting zoo and thought the animals were talking to him. It was probably a story that he shouldn’t be telling a future detective, but Patch seemed intrigued regardless. It wasn’t surprisingly really, as for a criminology student, having real-life insight into the drug world must have been rather interesting.  
  
Diego kept up his rhythm. Pierce the soil. Scoop up the dirt. Pour it outside the hole. Pierce. Scoop. Pour. Pierce. Scoop. Pour. Pierce. Scoop. Pour. He’s gotten so lost in the repetitiveness that he didn’t initially notice when he hit something that wasn’t soil, not until a foul stench slapped him right in the face and caused him to choke.  
  
“Jesus.” Diego covered his nose and winced. Looking down, he saw the rotting frame of a human carcass. He’s never seen one quite so ripe before. One where the remnants of fetid flesh still peeled off of decaying bone. One that was teeming with wriggling insects, burrowing into every orifice. One that he could scarcely believe was once a person, alive just like himself.  
  
“Well that’s disgusting,” Klaus muttered, having crawled over to glance into the hole. Unlike Diego and Patch, he appeared to be completely unaffected by the gross sight.  
  
“We have to tell the dean,” Patch said.  
  
“Pretty sure I remember him telling us to _not_ draw attention to ourselves and I’m pretty sure uncovering a dead body on campus grounds _is_ drawing attention to ourselves,” Klaus reminded, narrowing his eyes pointedly at Diego. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to have a police investigation ruining his school’s reputation.”  
  
“We can’t just re-bury the body and pretend we never found it, Klaus.”  
  
The Séance let out a resigned sigh. “I know.”  
  
“Patch, do you think you could stay here while Klaus and I go find the dean?”  
  
“Sure, no problem.”  
  
  
Dean Ramirez had his own private quarters on campus property, in the staff wing, where students weren’t typically allowed to go. But this was an emergency situation, which was exactly why Diego had no quarrel with breaking the rules and banging on the dean’s door at two o’clock in the morning. The man answered soon after, wrapped up in a thick dressing gown with shadows under his eyes.  
  
“Diego and Klaus Hargreeves, whatever are you two doing here?” he questioned, stifling a yawn.  
  
“I’m sorry sir, but we need to talk. May we come inside?”  
  
The dean nodded and opened his door further to allow the Hargreeves siblings entrance to his baroque abode, that reminded them much of the Academy. Diego’s ears pricked up to the sound of soft tweeting, he followed the noise to the corner of the room where Klaus now stood, captivated by the small canary perched in its cage.  
  
“Oh, aren’t you the cutest thing?” he cooed.  
  
“Her name’s Lemon Drop,” Ramirez said, with a certain fondness. He attention swayed from his pet back towards Diego – or more so his feet. Diego looked down to realize that he had been tracking dirt in onto the nice fancy rug.  
  
“Sorry,” he said, sheepishly, taking a step back onto the wooden floor instead.  
  
“So, why is it you are here?”  
  
“Right. Well there’s no way to sugar coat this, but we found a corpse buried under the campus grounds.”  
  
Ramirez’s eyes widened. “You what?”  
  
“To explain, Klaus recently got possessed by a spirit that seemed hell bent on having its body discovered.”  
  
“So hell bent that it made me break my own wrist…” Klaus muttered, loudly, for attention most likely. Not that he was given any. Other than from the bird, who had taken a shine to him, peeking its head out from between the bars.  
  
“We couldn’t just sit back and ignore it. So we went and uncovered it.”  
  
Ramirez began pacing, seemingly too tired to fully process what he was currently hearing. Diego couldn’t blame him. It was a lot to take in, especially as this ungodly hour.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, the man finally came a halt and locked eyes with Diego with what appeared to be a plan. “Who else knows about this?”  
  
“Just us two and Eudora Patch, she’s in criminology.”  
  
He nodded, stroking the whiskers on his chin. “I will have the authorities called; I have a good relationship with the local police force. With any luck we can get this body exhumed before morning classes. I imagine an investigation will take place, but to prevent mass panic it’s best we try and keep this under wrap. So I ask you to keep this to yourselves, at least until we have a better idea of the situation.”  
  
“Don’t worry, it’s our sister who’s the one that likes to start rumours,” Klaus said.  
  
“Is there anything else you can tell me? The more information I can relay to the police, the quicker this issue can be dealt with.”  
  
They both looked towards Klaus, who took a moment to process the fact the spotlight was now on him. He made a flippant gesture and replied in a grouse manner, “I didn’t talk to the ghost if that’s what you’re wondering. At least I don’t think so. I tend to tune them all out these days.”  
  
“I see. So the spirit in question is not here now?” Ramirez questioned, curiously glancing around the room.  
  
“Nope. Can’t conjure shit when I’m high.”  
  
“ _Klaus_!” Diego viciously narrowed his eyes at his imbecile of a brother.  
  
“What? Pain meds, Diego. They’re perfectly legal. I have a prescription and everything.” Klaus pulled out a slip of paper and wafted it about as it to rub it in. Funny that he felt the need to carry the evidence around to prove himself.   
  
“Well… hopefully your help won’t be required in solving this investigation,” Ramirez said. “Not that it is your responsibility. You are one of my students and I would never ask to put you in such a situation.”  
  
“Well shit.” Klaus pressed a hand to his chest and laughed bitterly. “You already care about me more than my own father.”  
  
“We’re not gonna get in trouble for all this, right?” Diego had to check. Technically speaking, they had damaged school property and did the one thing he asked them not to do.  
  
Dean Ramirez smiled and shook his head. “Of course not. I’m just ashamed I didn’t know about this sooner. To think someone was unknowingly buried right under my nose for God knows how long.”  
  
“It’s not your fault,” Diego reassured.  
  
“I suppose not. But I can’t help but feel somewhat accountable,” Ramirez said, deflated. Diego had to admire his devotion towards his post, the school really seemed to mean a lot to him. “Do you mind showing me the exact location of where you made this discovery?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
  
The pair lead the dean back towards the open field between the two dorm buildings, where Patch vigilantly continued to stand guard. The dean took one look into the open grave before dry heaving into the palm of his hand.   
  
“You all right, sir?” Diego asked. Not everyone had a strong a stomach. Ramirez nodded, having backed off out of range of the stench. He spent the next few moments hunched over, trying to fight against the bile rising in up his oesophagus. When that battle was won, he straightened himself out, cleared his throat, and spoke. “I think it is my – _ahem_ – duty to recommend that you all head home for the night to get some sleep. I will deal with everything.”   
  
  
Following the advice of the dean, the Hargreeves boys headed back to their apartment. The first thing Diego did once he was home, was take a shower. Standing under the warm stream of water was a sweet relief for his strained muscles, even more so was the shower gel that Klaus recommended he use. Usually, Diego would be against applying anything that came out of a pink bottle, but as it stood, the stuff did wonders for soothing all the aches in his body.   
  
His exhaustion caught up with him the moment he exited the bathroom. Dressed in some comfy PJ’s and with a towel wrapped around his neck, Diego headed into his bedroom, ready to collapse onto his mattress for a short, but hopefully, satisfying sleep. Except, there was already someone occupying his bed.  
  
“What’s wrong with your own?” Diego questioned, quickly towel drying his short hair.   
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“OK… so what’s your excuse this time?”  
  
“The shock of seeing a dead body,” Klaus answered, adding a gasp for dramatic effect. Diego shook his head, knowing full well that was a lame reason for his brother that regularly saw mangled ghost corpses. Not that he objected, as he tossed the damp towel into the hamper and crawled into bed beside his sibling. Having Klaus for company was a pain in the ass, but one that was forever welcome. Out of habit, Diego switched on the lava lamp, letting it paint the room in swathes of relaxing blue. Although he didn’t need it to fend off the ghosts tonight, the nightmares were still a possible threat.   
  
“Goodnight, Bro,” Diego muttered, closing his eyes. He waited for Klaus to say it back, but when he didn’t, that became the first indication that his brother wasn’t ready to sleep. The second came from his fidgeting, as he continued to manoeuvre the pillow as if unable to get comfy. The third was when he actually decided to start a conversation.  
  
“Hey, Diego, can we get a pet?” he asked.  
  
Diego snorted, unsure of how serious his sibling was currently being. “Klaus, you’re not responsible enough to look after yourself, let alone a living, breathing animal.”  
  
“That’s different.”  
  
Diego turned his head to the side to look at his brother, who looked a little more introspective than usual. “How is it different?”  
  
“Because I…” Klaus trailed off, seemingly unable to finish that sentence.  
  
“Because you’re what, Klaus?”  
  
“Because I… I am much higher maintenance than a rabbit, that’s why,” Klaus concluded. Diego was under the impression that that wasn’t the answer that his brother originally intended to give. But he looked past it.  
  
“You want a rabbit?”  
  
“Or a guinea pig. Or a ferret. Just something cute and fluffy that I can snuggle.”  
  
“Something you can snuggle, eh?” Diego wasn’t sure what drove him into his next action, whether it be delirium brought on by exhaustion, or just the afterglow of all the endorphins he’d stockpiled from digging, but he lunged at his brother and squeezed the ever-loving shit out of him.  
  
“Di-ego!” Klaus squealed, frozen in shock.  
  
“Am I not a good enough snuggler for you?” Diego frowned, teasing. That was probably the dumbest question he’d ever spoken aloud.   
  
“Did you hit your head or something, Di?” Klaus asked, genuinely concerned.   
  
“Naaah. I just… I dunno man. Weird mood,” he clarified. There was always a rush involved when he did something that he considered commendable. He’d helped someone today. Even if that someone was a dead person. And that dead person had injured his brother. Which he supposed he was a little pissed about. But it wasn’t like Klaus couldn’t handle having a broken wrist.  
  
“Well, can you and your weird mood please stop crushing me?” Klaus said.  
  
“Right. Yeah.” Diego’s grin turned sheepish as he lessened his grip and rolled back over onto his back. “Are you serious about wanting a pet?”  
  
“I dunno, maybe? I just thought we never had chance growing up and now we have all this freedom. Also figured it might help with my cravings, like when I get restless. I feel like stroking something fuzzy would be pretty calming, you know? And maybe it would be nice to talk to something that wouldn’t judge me.”  
  
At first, Diego thought that maybe this was one of Klaus’ impulse ideas, but the more he listened to his brother’s reasoning, the more he realized he sounded strangely sincere. Like he understood what caring for another creature meant.  
  
“I’ll think about it,” Diego said. He supposed he wouldn’t mind having an animal around, so long as he was sure that between the two of them they could properly look after it.  
  
“You really mean that?” Klaus’ face lit up.  
  
“Yeah. So you better be on your best behaviour,” Diego advised. It struck him then that Klaus really did see him as the one in charge. But somehow he doubted it was because he was Number Two.  
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever been on my best behaviour before,” the Séance mused. “But I’ll give it a shot.”  
  
“Good, now go to sleep.”


	9. Chapter 9

A couple of days past with no word on the dead body. The dean had done a tremendous job of keeping everything under wraps. Although rumours were circulating, none of them were even close to hitting the nail on the head. Most of them were actually about drug stashes, ironically.   
  
“Are you drawing a penis?” Klaus asked, trying to peek over at the marker pen that was squeaking against the side of his cast.   
  
“I am not drawing a penis, Klaus.”  
  
“Awwwh, why not?”  
  
“Because I’m not a prepubescent idiot.” Diego deadpanned. He was actually attempting to draw a Kraken taking down a pirate ship. Key word being ‘attempt’. Unlike his brother, he wasn’t as gifted in art, so his rendition of the action-packed scenario was close to comical. Not that Klaus seemed to mind, he thought all his subpar illustrations were charming. Diego had been doodling on and off on Klaus’ cast every time he came up with an idea, or was just bored. There were many wonky knives scattered about. A couple of reminders for Klaus (mainly his class schedule). A big red heart with a ‘get well soon’ (which Diego had reluctantly added against his will). A line of paw prints. A few tasteful insults. And a cartoon version of Princess Glitter Bomb impaling the criminology professor Diego didn’t like. That one was surprisingly graphic.  
  
“So…” Diego began, concentrating on making sure the tentacle dragging down the ship’s mast did not look totally shit. “I was thinking…”   
  
“That doesn’t sound good,” Klaus teased. Diego whacked his brother on the knee.   
  
“I want to go to the police station to ask about the body we found.”  
  
“You’re seriously _still_ obsessed with that?” Klaus let out a long and frustrated sigh. “Can’t you just let it go, Di?”   
  
“That’s the problem, I can’t get it out of my head. There’s just something about it, you know? Like a gut-feeling,” Diego explained. He was always one to trust his gut, it had never been wrong before.   
  
“So? Even if there is something more to this whole case, it’s not our problem,” Klaus said.   
  
“I know, but I just… I _need_ to know.”  
  
Klaus shook his head and smiled sourly. “And I’m the one who’s considered to be the addict of the family.”  
  
“It’s not the same.”  
  
“It’s _exactly_ the same, Diego,” he argued. “The difference is mine just has a bad rep.”  
  
“Because drugs can kill you.”  
  
“So can sticking your nose somewhere it doesn’t belong.”  
  
Diego paused in his masterpiece to exhale. “Shockingly, you’ve made a good point.”  
  
Klaus made an appreciative noise. “Thank you.”  
  
“But it’s not gonna stop me. I’m heading down to the police station whether you approve or not. So you can either come with and wait in the car and we can go get waffles after, or you can stay here and vegetate on the couch or something.”  
  
“How dare you tempt me with waffles!” Klaus looked appalled. But the truth was, he’d been pestering Diego all morning about his craving so there was no way he was going to turn down the offer. “Fine, fine. I’ll go put on something appropriate.”  
  
“What’s wrong with what you’re already wearing?” Diego vaguely gestured towards Klaus’ current outfit that was actually quite minimalistic for him. But still perfectly fine for going outside in.   
  
“These leggings are plain, Diego. And two sizes too big. They’re _loungewear._ I wouldn’t be caught dead in public wearing them,” Klaus said, plucking at the fabric as if to prove to his not-so-fashion-savvy brother how much space was leftover. Klaus’ motto did tend to be if it wasn’t skin-tight, it wasn’t worth putting on for anything other than sleep.   
  
“OK, fine you have ten minutes.”  
  
Klaus pulled a face.  
  
“Fifteen.”  
  
The face gained a bonus pout.  
  
“All right fine. You have a fucking hour.”   
  
Klaus bounced to his feet, squealing with energy. Diego let out a sigh as he watched his brother disappear into his bedroom and heard him throw open his closet with such vigour that the room itself shook.   
  
  
Klaus came out of his room an hour and five minutes later fully dressed in some fishnets with obscenely low-cut ripped jean shorts, a mesh tank top that left nothing to the imagination and a long chenille cardigan. Everything was mostly black, bar the teal swirl patterns on the shorts.   
  
Diego crossed his arms and cocked his scarred eyebrow at his brother’s bold choice in attire. “You know we’re only going for waffles, right?”  
  
“I must always dress to impress, Di. One never knows when one might bump into the love of their life,” Klaus said, all wistful-like.   
  
“What you trying to do, scare them off?” Diego couldn’t help but tease. That earnt him both a scowl and an elbow to the ribs as Klaus walked past him towards the door. This time at least, he’d chosen to wear some slip-on boots.   
  
  
The drive to the nearby police station was a short one, mainly spent listening to songs on the radio that Klaus felt compelled to sing along to. Diego had been tempted to tell him to shut up, but he knew he would have been blatantly ignored. It was a relief when the old brickwork station came into view, allowing Diego to pull up into the parking lot with swift precision and turn off the goddamn radio.   
  
“So, what’s the plan, Di. How exactly are you going to get access to confidential information?” Klaus asked, curious but mocking, like he already expected him to crash and burn.   
  
“By lying,” Diego replied. “I’m pretty good at that.”  
  
“And if that doesn’t work, what’s plan B?”   
  
“Oh, it’ll work.” Diego was confident in his abilities.   
  
“I kinda wanna see you make a fool of yourself,” Klaus said, slipping off his seatbelt ready to come with.   
  
“No. You’re staying in the car.”  
  
Klaus sat back and whined like a petulant child, “But whyyy?”   
  
“Because you’re high on pain meds – which I’m sure you’ve taken too many of, have no filter, and are prone to committing petty crimes,” Diego said. He wouldn’t put it past his brother to accidentally admit to doing something illegal right to a cop’s face or go full kleptomaniac and try and pinch a stapler or something. Hell, he’d probably even flirt with a criminal in a holding cell.   
  
“Yeah, that checks out.”   
  
“Right, I expect you to stay right here. Don’t go wandering off,” Diego instructed, getting out of the car.   
  
“I’m not a toddler, Diego.”  
  
“You sure fooled me.” He slammed the door closed and headed into the precinct. It was a small station, manned only by a few cops, most of which were busy minding their own business. Diego singled out the officer he needed. It was the same one that had just locked the door to what appeared to be the filing room and had now taken his place behind the reception desk. The cop was young, bright-faced, and eager, clearly a newbie, someone that would with any luck, believe his fabricated story.   
  
“Hey man, do you think you can help me out?” Diego questioned, getting the law enforcers attention.   
  
“Sure, what can I do for you?”   
  
“I’m a student at the college nearby, criminology major. I have this assignment where I have write a paper on case files. It’s worth like a third of my grade. So, you know, pretty big deal and all. I heard that there was one recently that involved the college itself, someone dug up a dead body on the grounds. And I thought hey, that would be an interesting case to look at.”  
  
“Do you have a written request signed by one of your professors?” the cop asked.   
  
“Of course.” Diego played along and patted down his jacket, then pretended to search his pockets. “Ah shit. I must have left it back at the dorm.”   
  
“Uhhh, well I can call up the college if you want? Get the request put through that way?”  
  
“Ahhh man, my professor will have my ass if he gets called up during one of his lectures. The guy already hates me.”   
  
“Well… there isn’t much else I can really do to help, I’m sorry. Protocol and all. We can’t just give out case files without given proper authorization.” The cop looked sheepish, like he was genuinely upset that he couldn’t help.   
  
“No worries.” Diego put up a polite smile, while inwardly cursing. “Guess I’ll just text my roommate and see if he can drive down here with it.” With his metaphorical tail between his legs, the Kraken pulled out his cellphone and shot his brother a text.  
  
_Plan B. Get your ass in here. I need your help._ _  
_ _  
_Klaus entered the building with a smug look on his face that screamed ‘I told you so’.  
  
“I would so punch you right now if we weren’t smack bang in the middle of a police station,” Diego said, through a forced smile of gritted teeth.   
  
“Sucks to be you,” Klaus quipped back. “So, what’s plan B?”   
  
“I need you to distract that officer over there.” Diego subtly motioned his head towards the young cop who was still at the reception desk, casually straightening out his shiny new badge. “I also need you to snag his keys.”  
  
“Oh, leave this to me, I can charm the uniform off that rather fetching gay cop.” Klaus’ grin turned devious, like a predator on hunt for prey. “I’m also a disturbingly good pickpocket if I do say so myself.”  
  
“Wait. How’d you know he’s gay?”  
  
“Diego, please, I can smell his cologne from here. It’s a brand I am well very well acquainted with from the many, many gay bars I frequent. And I mean, look at him, he is far too well-groomed to be straight. He clearly has his nails professionally manicured and–”  
  
Diego held his hand up to cut him off, “All right, just do your thing.”   
  
“With pleasure.” Klaus checked himself out in the reflection in the nearby window, deemed himself flawless, and then strutted over to the reception desk, to which he gracefully reclined against. “Excuse me, officer,” he purred. The young cop’s attention snapped up and he took one look at Klaus, before turning beet red. _Well shit, guess Klaus really can spot ‘em,_ Diego couldn’t help but think.   
  
“Err… what can I do for you, darlin’? Uhhh – I m-mean – sir.” His flustered words only made Klaus chuckle coyly. Diego wanted to facepalm. And maybe throw up.   
  
“It’s been a while since someone called me ‘darlin’,” Klaus said, tracing a fingernail across the wood of the desk.   
  
“I’m sorry! That was very unprofessional of me.” The cop furiously rubbed the back of his neck and purposely tore his gaze away when he realized his eyes had been lingering on the very see-through mesh top Klaus was flaunting.  
  
“No, no, don’t apologize. I’m flattered.”   
  
This pointless dalliance carried on for another two minutes and was forcefully tuned out by Diego, who could honestly say that watching his brother shamelessly flirt was actual torture. Though it did beg the question of why it bothered him so much. Was it cringeworthy? Yes. But Klaus was the epitome of being cringy, so that was nothing new. Was it because he was protective? That probably played a part. Although the cop looked harmless, he didn’t know the guy, and Klaus wasn’t the best judge of character, looking back at his history of sleeping with drug dealers. But there was something else. Another reason that was too complex for Diego to fully comprehend. A grating feeling like something was eating him up from the inside.   
  
Diego didn’t get chance to ponder it further as Klaus suddenly fell into a coughing fit. He almost sprang into action himself, before spotting the brief smirk that his sibling had shot his way, that informed him it was part of the show.   
  
“Hey, hey, are you OK?” the cop asked, frantically grabbing hold of Klaus to keep him upright. That was when the Séance worked his magic. He pretended to lose his balance and bumped into the officer, meanwhile his right hand reached for the belt and stealthily unhooked the keys.   
  
“I’m sorry, I’m still recovering from a pretty bad cold,” Klaus said, continuing to play up the theatrics. Diego knew full well that he’d finished kicking that cold’s ass yesterday.   
  
“Here, sit down. I’ll go get you some water.” The cop helped his brother towards the seating area, where Diego still remained, pretending to text on his cell. After that, he disappeared in a hurry towards the opposite end of the room where the water cooler was.   
  
“Do you think you can continue to distract him for a few more minutes?” Diego questioned, gratefully taking the set of keys.   
  
“Of course, you really think I’ve used up all my material so quickly?”   
  
“OK, I’ll be right back.” Diego patted his brother on the shoulder and slipped past the desk and headed down the thin corridor towards the filing room door. It was by pure luck that the first key he tried was the one that opened the lock, allowing him to quietly creep inside the room. He had to stay crouched to prevent being spotted due to the windows and soon discerned that the walls weren’t soundproof either. But so long as Klaus kept his new cop-friend entertained, he should go unnoticed.   
  
Diego made his way towards the set of filing cabinets and perused his way through the first drawer. Everything was labelled by date, so all he had to do was find the section that matched the day they found the body. He was about a week away when he heard voices getting a little too close to the room. Pausing, he listened intently to his surroundings.   
  
“Can I just say that uniform looks very good on you.” Diego let out the breath he’d been holding, it was only Klaus.   
  
“Thanks. I err… like wearing it.”  
  
The Kraken shook his head, wondering how on Earth his brother managed to force a cop dumbstruck. At least it was working in his favour. He turned his attention back to the task at hand and continued rifling through the files until he spotted the one he required.   
  
“Bingo.” He pinched the folder from its location and scanned its contents briefly before shoving it under his jacket. Job complete, he hurried back out through the door and locked it behind him.   
  
“Hey, what are you doing back there?”   
  
Diego reacted on instinct, hiding the keys behind his back, and spinning to face the owner of the voice. It was _not_ the cop Klaus had been designated with distracting. “Sorry, I was looking for the restroom.”   
  
“It’s down the other corridor,” the cop replied, only slightly suspicious.   
  
“Thanks.” Diego carried on walking, covertly returning the set of keys to the reception desk on his way past it. The cop was still deeply under Klaus’ spell and didn’t notice as he mouthed to his brother that he’d meet him in the car.   
  
With that taken care of, he exited the precinct and dove into the driver seat, where he fished out the file and began examining it.   
  
The photographs of the corpse were much more grotesque than in person. The body was of a young female, estimated to have been dead for over ten years and having died from multiple stab wounds to the chest. After being cleaned up, it was noted that not only was the jaw and all teeth missing, but so were all the fingers. All parts that could have led to recognition. With the face also so heavily disfigured, the woman had been labelled a ‘Jane Doe’ and the case had been dismissed due to insufficient evidence found.   
  
Diego was jerked from his concentration when someone tapped on his window, consequently making him jump. He cursed out loud when he saw that it was Klaus, who’s response to his fright was to burst into a fit of laughter.  
  
“Just get in the fucking car, you idiot!” Diego snapped. Klaus, who was still laughing, skirted round the edge of the vehicle, and collapsed onto the passenger seat.   
  
“Told you getting changed would come in handy. That poor man couldn’t take his eyes off of me. He even gave me his number, look.” His brother pulled out a scrap of paper which showed a very clear string of numbers, finished with a small love heart on it.   
  
“Good for you,” Diego remarked, dismissively.   
  
“Don’t sound too excited for me,” Klaus grumbled, stuffing his latest booty call details back under the waistband of his shorts.   
  
“Klaus, you know I don’t care about your romantic conquests during the best of times, but right now we have an old murder case on our hands. One that isn’t going to get solved by the police.”   
  
“And I care why?”   
  
“Because I want to solve it.”  
  
“Good for you,” Klaus said, mimicking Diego’s dismissive tone from before. “Can we go get waffles now? My stomach is killing me.”   
  
“Sure. Thanks for your help back there.”   
  
  
Diego contemplated to himself as he drove them both to the waffle house that Klaus had become rather fond of since moving here. There was only way to find a lead on a case with no leads. Unlike the police, Diego had access to the one thing that could make the most unsolvable case, solvable. And that was _Klaus._ The only person in the world who could summon the deceased and have a conversation with them. Diego knew if he had any hope of making this itch go away he had to convince his obstinate brother to help.   
  
“I was thinking…” he began, gliding into the corner booth at the eatery. “Maybe we could look into getting a pet for the apartment.”   
  
“You want me to use my powers to conjure that dead girl, right?” Klaus said, deadpan. He picked up the menu and perused through it with feigned indifference that quickly turned into uncontainable excitement. “Oh! Toffee syrup and banana.”   
  
“I do,” Diego admitted, surprised that his usually unobservant brother had caught on so fast. He truly was on the ball today. “Will you help?”  
  
Klaus put down the menu and locked eyes with his brother. He seemed to contemplate for a moment, before finally speaking, “Convince me.”   
  
“You want me to bribe you?” Diego presumed.  
  
“No. I want you to tell me why you want to help so bad,” Klaus amended.   
  
“Because the girl deserves justice."  
  
“So? What does her justice have to do with me?”   
  
It was then that Diego realized what his brother was looking for. Klaus didn’t care about the ghost. Because why should he? This girl was no different from the rest of them. All the ones who would stalk his every waking moment, because they wanted something from him. Because he was the only one who could _see_ them. The only one who could _commune_ with them. It was like he owed them for that privilege. Like his life was forfeit to their will because of it. Klaus hated that notion with a passion because he never signed up for his ability in the first place. A choice that was out of his hands should never dictate his very existence. Nor should it pressure him into the never-ending cycle that would drive him further to the brink of insanity that he already was. Because Klaus knew if he helped one, then he’d have to help the rest. And that wasn’t fair.   
  
“Will you do it for me, Klaus? Because this is important to me. I want to be a detective one day and that means wanting to help everyone that I can,” Diego said, being truly earnest.   
  
“Fine, I’ll do it for you,” Klaus replied, somewhat softly. Diego smiled at him, pleased. “But I still want a rabbit as payment for my services, especially as I’m going to need something cute and fluffy to distract me from giving up my sweet, sweet pain meds.”   
  
“We’ll go to the pet store after we’ve had waffles,” Diego said.  
  
“Fabulous!”   
  
  
As promised, Diego took his brother to the pet store once they had finished their meal. Although it seemed like a rash decision masquerading as an incentive for Diego to get what he wanted, he really had actually thought about the idea properly. The longer that Klaus stayed sober the more likely he was to get desperate and do a runner. Having a pet around would hopefully ground him. Klaus could reason his way out of disappointing Diego but disappointing a small innocent animal. He imagined that would be much harder for him.   
  
“Holy shiiiit, Di, look how cute these little guys are!” Klaus squealed. He was crouched down next to the bunny pen, unable to contain his delight as he watched them all hopping about.   
  
“Language, Klaus,” Diego tactfully reminded. There were small children around. He didn’t need to give their bigoted parents any legit ammunition to hate on his flamboyant brother who could wear whatever the fuck he wanted.   
  
“My bad,” Klaus uttered, covering his mouth and cringing. A store clerk came over, having noticed their interest.   
  
“Do you two gentlemen need any help?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah, actually. We’re looking to buy a rabbit,” Diego replied, feeling his masculinity take a small blow. “And we know absolutely nothing about them.”  
  
“Well if you want to follow me, I’ll take you round the store and give you a full run-down on what you’ll need to take care of your new fluffy critter,” the clerk said, with a polite smile.  
  
Diego turned to his brother, “I’ll go and do all the learning stuff you just stay here and pick out which one you want, OK?”  
  
“No problemo!” Klaus gave him a salute and turned towards the empty space beside him. “So which one do you like?”   
  
  
The courteous store clerk was extremely helpful as she lead Diego round the aisles, pointing out everything that would be needed in keeping a rabbit happy and healthy. Who knew that they could be litter trained? Diego sure fucking didn’t. But that was good to know at least, as living in an apartment they didn’t have much access to the outdoors. Though Diego imagined Klaus would get a kick out of walking the rabbit on a harness around the campus fields. Probably wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to see a student do.   
  
By the time Diego got back, Klaus appeared to be in a full-blown conversation with Ben, which had, naturally, earned him a few more judging glances.   
  
“Oh! Ben you are so _right_ that one does look like one of us!” Klaus exclaimed. “Diego, look! That one right there. It is the _one_.” His brother frantically pointed at a small white rabbit that was covered in black patches.  
  
“What’s so great about that one?” Diego cocked an eyebrow, unable to fathom why his brother was losing his mind over it.  
  
“Look at its face, Di!”  
  
Diego looked a little close and lo and behold the black patches around its face mimicked the domino masks they all used to wear as kids. “Goddamn, you ain’t kidding. It does look like one of us.”  
  
“I know! It’s meant to be, Diego!” Klaus, unable to contain his joy, got even more excited when the store employee came over to unlock the cage and handed the small bunny to him, confirming its gender as male. “Oh hey there little guy.” The bunny immediately took a liking to him, burrowing its face into the crook of his elbow. “I think I’m in love, Di.”  
  
“Are you now?” Diego smirked. He had to admit, he hadn’t seen his brother look this genuinely happy in a long time, and that in itself made it all worth it. Unable to help himself, the Kraken reached out to pat the small critter on its fuzzy head, ready to welcome it to their dysfunctional little family.   
  
  
Much to his dismay, Diego had once again been designated as the pack horse/jackass. While he loaded the car with the shocking number of supplies, Klaus held their new pet like a baby, twirling around and humming whatever tune was playing in his freaky head.  
  
“You’re going to at least help me unpack all this shit, right?” Diego said, slamming the boot down and proceeding to lean against it. All this walking back and forth had tired him the fuck out. “Last I checked, only one of your arms is broken.”   
  
“My strong arm.”  
  
“Klaus, you’re left handed.”  
  
“Yeah, but I actually use my right to jack—”  
  
Diego’s hand shot up and he placed a finger in front of Klaus’ mouth. “Do not, for the love of God, finish that sentence.”   
  
“You know it makes it feel like someone else is doing it, right?”  
  
Diego scowled and got up in his brother’s personal space, as if about to smack him one, regardless of the bunny in his arms. “What did I _just_ say, Klaus?”  
  
“Hey, I didn’t finish the sentence,” the Séance said, laughing as he recoiled. _That fucking smartass._   
  
“Just get in the car.”  
  
Klaus did as he was told, still looking quite pleased with himself and his ability to dodge using semantics. Settled in his seat, for the first time ever, Klaus actually put on his seatbelt without being prompted.   
  
“So all it took was for you to be holding a rabbit for you to actually give a shit about your own safety?” Diego remarked, clicking his own in place.   
  
“I’m a parent now, I have to be responsible,” Klaus replied, protectively holding the animal against his chest, and absently stroking its ears.   
  
“Well, I’m glad you’re taking your new role seriously,” Diego said. He turned the key in the ignition and fired the engine to life. Having reversed onto the main road, he glanced back at his brother. “You thought of a name for him yet?”   
  
Klaus smiled thoughtfully, “Yeah, I have.”  
  
“Do you mind filling me in there, bud?”   
  
“Number Twenty-Four,” he replied. Diego blinked. That wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting, considering Klaus’ track record of names e.g. Princess Glitter Bomb, the Chamber of Death and Rainbows (what he used to call his bedroom) and Snuggle-Pudding, the Magic Blanket (self-explanatory). “It’s Number Two and Number Four combined.”   
  
“Yeah, I worked that much out, thanks,” Diego said, rolling his eyes. “I guess it’s kinda fitting?”   
  
“My other idea was Ben 2.0, but Ben didn’t want to be honoured in the form of a rabbit that is named like it’s better than him. Which it is, by the way.” Klaus emphasised that final part, glaring at the back seat, which Diego assumed, was where Ben was currently sitting. One of these days Diego might actually pluck up the courage to try and converse with his dead brother… it was just easier not to. As doing so would only remind him of the guilt he felt upon his death in the first place. Unlike with Klaus, to him, Ben really was just an empty space, and that _hurt._ _  
_  
"Number Twenty-Four sounds good,” Diego concluded.   
  
“And we can always nickname him Herr Fuzzy Socks, as we all have two names,” Klaus added. Now that was more like it.  
  
“He’s German now?”  
  
“Sure, why not? My name is German.”  
  
“We also have titles.”  
  
“Fine, fine. Number Twenty-Four AKA Herr Fuzzy Socks AKA the Button Muncher,” Klaus decreed, removing said cardigan button from out between the rabbit’s teeth.   
  
“Perfect.” _  
_


	10. Chapter 10

Number Twenty-Four turned out to be one of the best decisions Diego had made in a while. Klaus had quickly become _obsessed_ with the small rabbit and had barely been seen without him in the last three days. He’d been both patient and determined when it came to litter training the bunny and had been both supportive and affectionate in helping him settle in. Number Twenty-Four even had his own place at the counter top table, so he could eat when they did, and an extra bed in both their rooms for when he had free reign of the apartment. Klaus had also bought a whole bunch of books on rabbits and had studied them cover to cover, to ensure that he was well informed in taking care of what he deemed to be his baby. Diego really hadn’t seen his brother so driven before. It was actually rather endearing.  
  
Klaus had been calmer than usual, too, when it came to him coming down from his pain med high. Although it had still been rough, he’d kept himself occupied with teaching Number Twenty-Four how to roll a ball back and forth with astonishing success.  
  
“So, how’s the sobriety coming along, seen any ghosts yet?” Diego asked. He’d been fiddling with one of his knives for the last hour, impatiently waiting for the clock to tell him it was go time.  
  
“Since this morning,” Klaus replied, fingers buried in the white fur of Herr Fuzzy Socks. “Woke up to see a lovely gentleman with his guts hanging out trying to describe how it felt, in detail, to see his own intestines digesting the chicken he ate before he fell off the roof of his house and impaled himself on his iron fence.”  
  
“That’s… disturbing,” Diego muttered, regretting having asked. “That does mean you’re good to go, right?”  
  
“I’m _always_ good to go, Di,” Klaus purred. It took him a moment to realize what was wrong with that reply when Diego did nothing but stare at him in jaded disbelief. “Oh, you meant, am I good to go with conjuring your dead girl. Yeah, sure, I can do that, too.”  
  
  
It was gone midnight when the Hargreeves siblings made their way back to the grave site of one mystery Jane Doe. Klaus had figured he’d have the best chance of summoning her spirit to the place where her energy was as its strongest.  
  
The pair ducked under the police tape that had been left around the perimeter of the disturbed ground and got comfy on the dirt beside the re-filled hole.  
  
“So, how does this work exactly?” Diego asked. Despite having grown up with the Séance, he really did have little to no idea how exactly his powers operated. Did he just like imagine the spirit he wanted to commune with and like poof! They appeared? Did he just feel the energy around him and lock onto its source? Did he just yell out in his head and hope someone was listening on the other side? It was hard to envisage when most of the time Klaus’ abilities worked outside of his own control, when the dead just turned up at his doorstep uninvited.  
  
“Well, for one, you give me your hands,” Klaus replied, offering out his own. Diego reacted spontaneously to the instruction, placing his palms on top of his brother’s, just for him interlace their fingers together. Or at least try to in his right hand’s case.   
  
“And how will this help with summoning?” Diego then asked, feeling a bit of heat rise in his cheeks.  
  
“It won’t. My hands are just cold,” Klaus replied.  
  
“Could have put on gloves,” he muttered, beginning to stroke his thumbs across Klaus’ knuckles to add a bit extra heat, because goddamn his hands really were cold.  
  
“Yes, Diego, next time I go into an accessories store, I’ll ask them if they have a glove selection that will fit my cast.”  
  
“Well, what’s your excuse with your left hand?”  
  
“I’ll look ridiculous with one glove.”  
  
“Of course.” Diego nodded. He should have figured as much. Once again Klaus’ priorities proved to be backwards. “All right, bypassing your crippling sense of vanity, do you actually need me to do anything?”  
  
“I dunno, pray?” Klaus offered, following up with a sardonic laugh. “I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. Conjuring has always been very hit or miss for me.”  
  
“You summoned Ben, right?” Diego reminded. “What did you feel or do when you did that?”  
  
Klaus thought about it for a moment, eyebrows furrowed and knee jerking restlessly. “I’m not sure really… I just sorta wished to see him again, because I really didn’t want to say goodbye for real,” he admitted. The heartfelt moment was over within a second, when his candid expression suddenly turned into a sneer that was aimed pointedly at a spot left of Diego. “Yeah, yeah. See the difference is now, I wish you would go the fuck away.”  
  
“OK, so you were emotionally invested…” Diego contemplated, ignoring the immature display of Klaus sticking his tongue out at what may as well have been thin air. “I mean you must still be pretty bitter about her possessing you. Maybe you can use that as your driving force for summoning?”  
  
Klaus shrugged, unconvinced of the idea. “I suppose it’s worth a shot.” He closed his eyes and took a deep but shaky breath, prompting Diego to hold his hand a little tighter in hopes to steel his nerves. As much as Klaus acted all apathetic, Diego knew he didn’t want to be here, doing this. Minutes past with no sign of anything happening. Klaus’ brows continued to scrunch further and further as he forced himself into some kind of blank focus. Then, all of a sudden, he burst out laughing.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Diego was taken aback by the manic outburst of hilarity.  
  
“Every time I try and close my eyes to concentrate all I see is an image of a penguin bungee jumping off a really tall iceberg and then Father pointing a finger at me and yelling about my fleeting attention span.”  
  
“Klaus… can you please for once in your life, try and take this seriously?” Diego said, almost scolding.  
  
“Oh! That’s exactly what he said to me, too. Word for word no less,” Klaus added, still amused. That was enough to make Diego close his mouth. The last thing he wanted was to sound anything remotely close to their asshole of a father.  
  
“Look, I know this is difficult, but you’ve done it before.”  
  
“I know I’ve done it before, but it may as well have been by accident,” Klaus said, his words starting to sound sharp. His narrowed eyes kept darting towards random spots around the field and every so often he would flinch like something had trespassed on his personal space.  
  
“You’re scared,” Diego concluded, realizing that it wasn’t the cold that had his brother trembling.  
  
“Well of course I’m scared, Diego! Not all spirits are as hot and benevolent as Patrick Swayze!” Klaus snapped, slamming his knee down to stop it from jerking.  
  
“That explains why you liked that movie so much,” Diego said, diffusing the tension by changing topic. He had an idea.  
  
“I hoped it would make me less afraid. That maybe I could convince myself that there was a positive to my powers, a way to hold onto the people I care about. But all I get is random dead people hell bent on making my life miserable.” Klaus let out a frustrated sigh, one that only echoed a fraction of the true torment that the Séance had suffered through.  
  
“You have Ben,” Diego pointed out. That had to count for something.   
  
Klaus smiled sadly at that. “I know.”  
  
 _Time for the plan._ “All right, I want you to do something for me.”  
  
This peaked Klaus’ attention. “What?”  
  
“I want you to describe the perfect man, or woman for you. Someone who would love your idiot self enough to shape pottery with you from beyond the grave,” Diego said. He slipped his thumb over the pulse point of Klaus’ wrist, feeling the incessant thump of his heart powered by fear.  
  
“Since when do care about that sorta stuff?”  
  
“Can’t we log into some quality bro time once in a while?” Diego replied.  
  
“You can sure pick the time and place,” Klaus muttered.  
  
“Just humour me, OK?”  
  
“All right. Let me think.” The tension in his shoulders left as the Séance hummed in thought. “I guess it would be a he. I like dick too much, and strap-ons just aren’t the same. Like, they’re fine for a one-off dalliance, but nothing compares to the real thing. There’s nothing like having a big, throbbing–”  
  
“OK, we’ve established it’ll be a guy, moving on,” Diego said, hurrying his brother along so he didn’t have to hear any more about dicks.  
  
“He’d be strong, yet vulnerable, kind, and brave. He’d love me unconditionally, despite all my flaws. He’d be someone who understands me, who won’t laugh when I get scared of the dark.”  
  
“What else?” Diego urged, starting to feel the thrumming slow down.  
  
“He’d enjoy snuggling, he’d wrap my up in his arms and protect me from all the shit the world has to offer. He’d also able to beat up any dealers I piss off, and fight for my honour when I get flirted at by ugly bikers with questionable hygiene standards. Oh! And he’d also be devilishly handsome, all sharp edges and rugged, like a well-groomed Latino renegade.”  
  
“Latino?” If Diego didn’t know any better, it almost sounded as if he were describing _him._  
  
Klaus shrugged. “Latino men are hot. I love the dark hair and dark eyes combo. So mysterious and brooding.”  
  
“I see. You seemed have to this hypothetical hunk pretty figured out.” By now Klaus’ heart rate had decreased considerably. No longer was he quaking, or restlessly fidgeting.  
  
“Yeah… I daydream a lot, especially when I’m high,” Klaus uttered, pulse temporarily spiking. “Not that fantasies ever come tr–” His next breath hitched, and he recoiled as if someone had whispered in his ear.  
  
“What’s the matter?” Diego asked, feeling a cold wind brush up against the back of his neck.  
  
“She’s here,” was the stony replied he received. The distraction had worked. Klaus bit down on his lip and turned to his side, only to pale down a few shades and scrunch up his face in revulsion. “Oh boy. Err… nice tongue piercing?”  
  
“Everything OK?” Diego looked at the spot that his brother was wide eyed staring but saw nothing but empty air.  
  
“She’s ummm… how can I put this? Gruesome? Gory? An extra in a zombie flick with a insanely high budget.”  
  
“Can you describe her?”  
  
“I’m not sure you’d want me to.”   
  
“The more I know, the better,” Diego encouraged. Klaus was reluctant to start, but soon began to describe the ghost in front of him in detail. He explained that spirits often took on the form of their demise, and in this case what had happened had been mutilation. Eyes gouged out to nothing but weeping black holes. Jaw completely ripped off and tongue hanging loose. Rotted stumps in place of hands. And of course the many, many stab wounds to the chest that left insides visible and leaking. It must have been rough, it was one thing to picture the macabre image, but to actually see it, a corpse mimicking life. Hell, it was any wonder that Klaus had a strong stomach.  
  
“Can we ask her some questions… is she able to you know, talk?” Diego wasn’t sure how all this worked. If spirits needed to have a working mouth and vocal chords.  
  
“She can talk,” Klaus assured. “And she can also hear you.”  
  
“Right.” He slipped out his cellphone because he’d forgotten to bring a notepad and pen, because pre-planning really wasn’t his strong suit. “Well uhhh, can you tell us your name?” Diego felt dumb talking to a blank spot. But he at least made an effort to look in the direction the girl was sitting in. He imagined that she still had feelings after all and would appreciate him trying to be polite.  
  
“Paige Bennett,” Klaus said, working as her mouthpiece. “She was twenty-two when she was err… murdered.”  
  
“How long ago was that?”  
  
“Twelve years. She was a student here, a freshman living in the dorms.”  
  
“Can you tell me what happened the day you died?” Diego felt his investigative side kicking in full force. He imagined Patch would have loved to have been here for this. But he didn’t think Klaus would be partial to being put on display like a circus freak.  
  
“She says she doesn’t remember much, just that she was drugged from behind while returning from a frat party. She woke up tied to a chair in some basement, like a furnace room or something, and was tortured by this guy wearing a porcelain mask. She says he never spoke, not once. She was down there for days only being fed sour candies, while he chopped off pieces of her until he got bored and stabbed her to death.”  
  
“Sick bastard,” Diego muttered, jaw tightening. “Sounds premeditated, like someone wanted you to suffer. Is there anyone you can think of who would have wanted to hurt you?”  
  
“The only person she can think of is her ex-boyfriend, he was kinda bummed that she’d dumped him and had threatened her a couple of times to get back together. But she never took him for someone that would legitimately hurt her,” Klaus said. He was starting to get antsy again, and judging by the slump in his shoulders, pretty tired, too.  
  
“Do you mind giving us a name still? A lead is still a lead. Even if he didn’t do it, he might know something,” Diego said. He knew he was going to have to wrap this up before Klaus got too stressed to function level-headedly, or passed out. As much as his brother didn’t weigh all that much, he didn’t feel like carrying his ass back to the apartment.  
  
“Derek Chase,” Klaus said, following up with a few more facts to make easy tracking him down.  
  
“Thank you for your cooperation.” Diego slipped his cell back into his pocket and purposefully looked back at the empty spot at what he hoped contained a face. “I swear I’ll find out who did this to you. Just don’t go possessing my brother anymore, all right?”  
  
“Well… she’s sorry about that at least,” Klaus said. He then grinned. “Thanks, I like my dick, too.”  
  
Diego decided not to inquire further into that topic but could safely assume that Paige had taken a peek at his brother’s junk. He’d probably have done the same if he’d woken up a woman’s body, if he were honest. Having a pair of jugs to play with would be pretty entertaining. Though he’d much rather stick to being himself.  
  
Klaus dismissed the spirit after that, and by that he meant he politely asked her to not follow him home. It was the best he could do considering he didn’t have any control over their will, or the ability to close the door to the spirit realm without the use of drugs.  
  
Back in the apartment, Klaus made a beeline towards Number Twenty-Four’s hutch and opened it out to greet the small bunny with some affectionate petting.  
  
“Thanks for your help, by the way,” Diego said, joining his brother in making a fuss over the masked rabbit. Just like Klaus, Number Twenty-Four _adored_ the attention. Also, like Diego, he was also quite the feisty thing, prone to snatching treats and stomping his back legs when he got annoyed.  
  
“You’re welcome, dear Brother,” Klaus replied. He must have felt a twinge of pain then, as he winced and drew his right arm towards himself.  
  
“You okay?” Diego put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.  
  
“Yeah, I’m fine. It just hurts a little.”  
  
“You can take some more painkillers now if you want?” It seemed wrong that he offered such a thing now that he no longer needed a sober Klaus to do what _he_ wanted. But at the same time, it would be cruel to insist that Klaus stayed drug-free for the sake of it when he was hurting.  
  
“I ran out.” Not that it mattered anyway, apparently.  
  
“Ran out? Didn’t you have like two weeks’ worth?” Diego half frowned. It had only been a week and Klaus had stopped taking them entirely three days ago…  
  
“You know me, Diego. I never take the recommended amount,” Klaus said. His playful chuckle faded into a deep and bemused breath. “Though maybe it’s for the best. Sobriety is awful but… I don’t know. Maybe it is time for a change.”  
  
“You know I’m proud of you, right?” Diego found himself smiling. It was incredible to see how much his brother had matured over the last month.  
  
“Try not to get your hopes up, I’m flaky as hell,” Klaus joked. He wished his pet sweet carrot filled dreams and then strode off towards the corridor. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go pass out on your bed. Feel free to join me.”  
  
  
Diego did just that, after a making himself a quick snack in the form of a ham and cheese sandwich. He had just shoved the crust into his mouth as he entered the bedroom. Klaus was already fast asleep by this point. He really must have been exhausted. Diego idly wondered if the Séance got tired the same way he did when actively using his powers. Way back when, his whole body would ache with muscle strain if he practised for too long. It was different for him now, due to long term training, but for Klaus, he’d barely even touched his abilities since he was forced to use them as a kid. However, there was also just a chance he was tired because it was two in the fucking morning, which probably didn’t help. Diego grimaced at the digital clock on his bedside table that had been gifted to him by Klaus in replacement for the one he broke. It was a Hello Kitty one. And Diego fucking hated it. But it did its job.  
  
Having slipped on his pyjamas, Diego silently glided under the covers, careful not to disturb his brother. For the first time since uncovering the body, Diego actually felt at ease. Like the fire inside him had been sedated. He had a lead. One that he would look into further in the morning, after a good night’s sleep.  
  
  
It was still dark out when Diego was awoken from his slumber. He hadn’t realized what was going on at first, not until he heard Klaus whimpering, begging desperately in his sleep for something to leave him alone. Diego sprang into action and shook his brother in an urgent attempt to rouse him.  
  
“Klaus, hey, wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” he said, continuing with his previous action until Klaus’ eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright. But that wasn’t the end of it.  
  
“No, no, no, no, go away.” Klaus scrambled back towards the furthest corner of the bed, the one that was pressed against the wall. Panicked and hyperventilating, he threw his arms out as if to push something away before retreating into himself entirely. Holding his knees against his chest he began rocking back and forth, continuing his terrified mantra. “Go away. Go away. Go away.”  
  
Diego cursed himself upon realizing his fatal mistake. He’d forgotten to turn on the lava lamp and because of it, the room was pitch black. Klaus hated the dark. Ever since their father had started locking him in that God-forsaken mausoleum. Diego reached for the switch to rectify the problem, but it was already far too late. It wasn’t just the absence of light that was scaring his sibling.  
  
“Hey, Klaus, look at me.” Diego grabbed hold of his brother’s shoulders to still his movements and to steer his attention away from what was frightening him. Watery hazel eyes soon met his but struggled to stay locked there. “They can’t hurt you.”  
  
“Y-You don’t know that for sure,” Klaus muttered back.  
  
“Yeah, I do. Because if they tried, I’d kick their asses,” Diego assured.  
  
“How are you supposed to kick the asses of something you can’t see?”  
  
“Oh, trust me. I’d find a way.” There wasn’t any monster in the world that he wouldn’t protect Klaus from. Corporeal or not.  
  
The resolve in his tone must have gotten through, as Klaus’ breathing finally began to slow and his grip on his legs loosened. Recognizing that his brother was in dire need of a hug, Diego did exactly that, pulling the still trembling frame into his arms and holding him tightly. Eventually, the Séance stilled, but the Kraken didn’t let him go as they lay back down on the bed.  
  
“Are they still here?” Diego asked softly, running his fingers up and down his sibling’s upper arm – a motion that was achieving the desired effect of keeping his brother relaxed.   
  
“I don’t know… I don’t want to look,” Klaus replied, cheek rested against Diego’s collar.   
  
“That’s all right, you don’t have to.” This had been the worst nightmare he’d seen Klaus have in a while and it was hard not to link it to the fact that it was probably due to his increased interaction with the dead.  
  
“Hey, uhhh, Diego… can I ask you something?”  
  
“Sure, go ahead.” It must have been a serious question as Klaus rarely asked for permission.  
  
“While I was trying to summon that dead girl, why did you ask me about my perfect partner?”   
  
“I had a hunch about your powers and how they work. I think what was stopping you from controlling them is fear, so I calmed you down,” Diego explained. It made sense really, Klaus was afraid of ghosts so his instincts would hamper his powers subconsciously.  
  
“Oh…” Klaus sounded… disappointed? _Was that not the answer he was looking for?_ “I suppose that does explain why father locked me in that mausoleum, a futile attempt at exposure therapy. Too bad it had the opposite effect.”  
  
“Well, Dad is an idiot. Any kid would be terrified of being locked in a dark room with a bunch of corpses. Especially if they had your gift,” Diego said.  
  
“Still, I’m kinda pathetic really. You’re not scared of water when Dad had you chained up inside a water tank for hours on end.”  
  
Diego lazily shrugged and responded in a jokey tone, “I guess I’m made of tougher stuff.”  
  
“Says the guy that faints at the sight of needles.”  
  
Diego took mock offense to that. “Hey. Shut up. They’re scary.”  
  
“I beg to differ.” Klaus smirked.  
  
“Yeah, well, you’re a junkie, so your opinion on the matter is invalid.”  
  
“Hey, I was referring to getting tattoos,” Klaus half-heartedly argued, waving his ‘hello’ hand in front of Diego’s face. “I find getting inked up quite relaxing nowadays. I almost fell asleep getting the tiger on my shoulder blade.”   
  
“Then you’re just fucking weird.”  
  
“Why, thank you.”  
  
Diego shook his head and chuckled quietly, coaxing the same noise out of Klaus. They really did have the weirdest conversations lying in bed together.  
  
“Do you wanna try going back to sleep?” Diego asked.  
  
“I would… but my ghost white noise machine is playing up again,” Klaus sighed.  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Have you ever heard a Russian lullaby?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Good, ‘cause they’re unsettling as fuck and that one-legged babushka over there literally will not stop singing one.” Klaus vaguely gestured towards the dark corner of the room that contained a wooden chair stacked high with presumably clean clothes. Or maybe they were dirty? Diego couldn’t remember. “God, I wish she would fucking shut up.” Klaus’ irritation had him feeling up the pillow behind him, like he was tempted to lob it at the dead lady. He gave up on that idea soon after, doubtlessly because he knew it would be entirely pointless. Instead, he just pressed his hand over the ear that wasn’t already up against Diego’s chest.  
  
“Anything I can do to help?” the Kraken asked.  
  
“Drown her out,” Klaus replied. “I much prefer listening to your voice.”  
  
And so Diego did, recounting an old story that he greatly embellished of him single handedly taking down a crime syndicate. His narration came to an end when Klaus nodded off, regretfully right before the epic conclusion where Diego had taken down the big boss by throwing a knife and slicing off his finger before he could pull the trigger on his gun. Which totally happened. One hundred percent.


	11. Chapter 11

As it turned out, Derek Chase was a complete and total bust. Diego had tracked down the now thirty-five-year-old car salesman (who lived in his sad, crummy apartment) and had interrogated him about his ex-girlfriend. Upon being informed of her death, he quite literally fainted from the shock. He then proceeded to bawl his eyes out and cry about how much he had missed her and had never been able to move on. Diego could spot a liar when he saw one, and that man was no killer. He was just a pathetic idiot who clearly peaked in high school.  
  
He did at least get a bit more information. She was an oversea student, so her family were out the question of suspects. And she only had two friends, one of which was the one who reported her missing. A quick interview with her ruled her out as a potential murderer as jewellery-making-healing-crystal-yoga-enthusiasts tended not to make cold-blooded psychopaths. The second friend had an alibi and was busy holidaying in Spain with her family at the time, attending her great-grandmothers funeral.  
  
So, after all those dead ends, Diego had been catapulted back to square one with absolutely zilch to go on. Which was exactly why he was currently throwing knives at the makeshift target he had spray painted on the living room wall. Nailed to the centre was a photograph of Reginald that he’d printed out in the college library. Klaus had taken the liberty of defacing it with a Hitler moustache and devil horns.  
  
With yet another frustrated groan, Diego launched the silver projectile at the print-out and stabbed the two-dimensional face of his father right through the monocle. He always hated that thing. The way the self-righteous bastard would adjust it when talking down to him like he was an annoying fleck of dust on his pristine suit.  
  
He was halfway through aiming another shot when he heard a loud set of footsteps racing up the stairwell. It seemed Klaus was back from his art class. Not a moment’s later, the Séance was bounding through the front door and tripping over the welcome mat.  
  
“Diego!!” he yelled, overly excited.  
  
“How much sugar have you had today?” Diego sighed. He unenthusiastically craned his neck to look towards his brother to seem him clutching hold of a canvas with a huge smile on his features. Question unanswered, Klaus charged towards him and shoved the piece of art in front of his face, while pointing towards the slip of paper that was taped to it. On it contained a singular bold letter.  
  
“Look Diego! I got an A! An actual, legitimate A!” he boasted, unable to contain his glee. “I never thought I’d get an A in anything, well, other than class A drugs.”  
  
“That’s neat, I’m really happy for you,” Diego said, trying his best to be encouraging. His attempt must have sucked as Klaus immediately pouted.  
  
“Seriously, Di? This is like my greatest ever achievement and all you can muster up is ‘that’s neat’ in a lacklustre voice.”  
  
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry.” It wasn’t that he wasn’t proud. He was just in a bad mood. Not that that was a good excuse to ruin Klaus’ excitement over something that he genuinely should be excited over. With that in mind, Diego forced himself to sit up and plastered a smile on his face for the sake of his brother. “Let me look at the painting properly. I wanna see what earned you you’re A.”  
  
Klaus handed the canvas over and waited impatiently for Diego’s verdict with sparkling hazel eyes and nail-biting tension.  
  
The piece was an abstract mash-up of Klaus’ two styles. Sliced through the middle were ghoulish shadows with jagged edges, clawing their way out from a serrated crack. But around the boundary of that were splashes of vibrant colours, bold and clashing. It was like the two opposing sides were trying to consume one another in some eternal battle.  
  
“So, this is what it looks like inside that freaky head of yours, huh?” Diego remarked. It was hard to tell if it was a piece depicting Klaus’ fight with his addiction, his sanity, his powers, or an unholy combination of all three.   
  
“I mean, the majority of my thoughts contain a very nude Brad Pitt doing sit-ups on top of a bearskin rug,” Klaus said. “But yes, that is but a fraction of my gloriously abnormal psyche.”   
  
“Well, I like it. It’s very _you_.”  
  
Klaus let out a small cheer and collapsed onto the sofa next to Diego, where he could harass him with a whole bunch of shoulder nudges. “Soooo… as this is such a special occasion for me, I was thinking that maybe we could celebrate?”  
  
“Sure, you have my permission to go get drunk,” Diego said, placing the canvas in a safe spot near the arm of the sofa. Maybe he’d get a frame for it and hang it on the wall some place, mark the event an all. “Just let me know where you’re going and what time to pick you up.”  
  
“Didn’t you hear the distinct ‘we’ in that sentence?” Klaus frowned.  
  
“I’m not really in the mood, Bro.” Diego was all for giving his brother a bit of leniency. After all, he deserved it. But he couldn’t willingly allow himself to get wasted when he had a murder to solve and justice to bring. Especially since he made a promise.  
  
“Are you _seriously_ still hung up on that damn case? You’re running yourself ragged trying to figure this shit out. It’s been so bad that I’ve had to be the responsible one. _Me._ Klaus, the screw-up junkie.”  
  
The Séance groaned and sprawled himself out across the Kraken’s lap.  
  
Diego looked down at his sibling with knitted eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”  
  
“Diego, when was the last time you ate?”  
  
“This morning.”  
  
“Yeah. And who made you sure that you did?”  
  
Diego thought back to the pancakes he had, that Klaus had made. He’d covered them in blueberries and a dollop of whipped cream. “You.”  
  
“Mhmm. I also cooked you both breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, because you keep forgetting.”  
  
“I do not,” Diego argued stubbornly.  
  
“Yeah, you do. You’ve also not been sleeping because you’re too dosed up on caffeine to even try. I mean look at this place Diego, I’ve been in crack dens with less crack than this apartment has empty coffee cups.” Klaus gestured to the mess that littered the coffee table, then the overflowing bin, and finally, the counter tops that were stacked high. “You. Need. A. Break.”  
  
Diego relented, “All right. Fine. What do you have in mind?”  
  
“How about we throw a party? Nothing big. Just invite a few friends over for a couple of drinks and a few naughty games,” Klaus suggested. “You can ask… err… your lady friend to come.”  
  
“I suppose that does sound like a little fun.”  
  
“That’s the spirit!”  
  
  
With the plan in motion, Diego and Klaus went booze shopping at the local corner store. It was a rule that they never kept alcohol in the apartment, to avoid giving Klaus any form of temptation. Diego had driven his brother to one too many AA meetings to know that he had a problem in that department, too.  
  
It was 7pm when the first guest arrived. Patch had brought with her with a bottle of her father’s favourite brand of whiskey and a couple of brand-new pink glitter shot glasses as a gift for Klaus and his showcased A. He squealed upon receiving them and told Diego that he approved of their friendship.  
  
As expected, Klaus’ attendees were fashionably late and consisted of a party of three. The guy from the frat party that he’d slept with, whose name was _actually_ Chad. His art classmate who he fawned over a lot, Laurie. And Laurie’s roommate, Rachel, who Klaus had never actually met but had heard a lot about. All three of them were people that Diego only had first impression opinions of. He disliked Chad out of principle, having used his brother for sexual purposes. Laurie seemed quirky, and from what he’d been told about her, she was quite often on the same wavelength as Klaus. Diego appreciated that; it was nice to see his sibling had made a friend that didn’t have ulterior motives to get into his pants. And Rachel, she seemed sweet enough. The first thing she’d done upon entering the apartment was thank them for inviting her.  
  
  
Klaus had started the night off by making some of his signature cocktails for everyone. Although they were potent enough to cause eyes to water, they tasted rather good. But that wasn’t a shock considering he started practising at thirteen and had probably tried every combination of booze and mixers in existence. Under different circumstances, Klaus probably would have made one hell of a bartender.  
  
After that, they played beer pong with all the empty coffee cups. Men vs Women. But to make it fair, Diego had to close his eyes before throwing. But even with that handicap, his aim was still far superior to everyone else’s, having only missed a grand total of one shot, due to Klaus whispering in his ear last second.  
  
They were all pretty toasted by the time they settled down to play some good ol’ spin the bottle; a game that the Hargreeves siblings had found fun back when they were kids. Of course, in those days, it was much more innocent. Not that it stopped them from coming up with some rather wild dares like: Klaus having to leave lipstick kiss marks all over random pieces of furniture, or Five using his powers to hang socks from the chandelier, or even Allison having to rumour Pogo into performing the chicken dance.  
  
“Klaus, truth or dare?” Rachel asked. The bottle had landed on the Séance, who was always eager to divulge personal information or strut around doing some exotic and filthy dare. His lack of inhibitions really came in handy at parties.  
  
“Truth,” Klaus replied, tapping the floor in excitement. He always did love being the centre of attention.  
  
“What is the weirdest sexual thing you have ever done?”  
  
Diego internally sighed, o _h here we go…_ _  
_ _  
_“Does waxing my asshole with chocolate pudding count?” he said, far too proud. “Would not recommend by the way. It was soooo painful.”  
  
That earned him a few sniggers and a very judgemental eyebrow raise from Patch, who other than Diego, was probably the only other sane person here. It was Klaus’ turn to spin next. When it landed on Patch, Diego gave his brother a subtle side glare to keep it PG-13 rated. Klaus had complied when Patch had opted for dare and settled on asking her to take off her bra without removing her shirt. Which was probably the least sexual thing that Klaus could think of, within the parameter of still keeping it interesting. It turned out she was wearing a black lace bra, that Diego admittedly found quite attractive and Klaus would totally wear if he had need.  
  
Diego wasn’t really all that interested when her spin landed on Laurie and she was asked what was the most erotic thing she had ever drawn. The answer to that was a renaissance style painting of a woman getting gang-banged by a bunch of demons. Klaus demanded evidence. She promised to show him next time she had her camera.  
  
Next round, the bottle fell on Diego.  
  
“Dare,” he said, before he could be asked.  
  
“I dare you to throw a knife at the fly that’s been buzzing around for the last fifteen minutes,” Laurie instructed.  
  
Without even looking, Diego pulled a knife from his harness and launched it through the air towards where the incessant buzzing had been coming from. It stopped as soon as the small cracking noise signalled the blade had hit a wall. Chad was the one who got up to check.  
  
“Holy shit man! Bullseye strikes again!” he said in complete and total awe.  
  
“Show off,” Klaus muttered under his breath.   
  
“Jealous?” Diego couldn’t help but smirk.  
  
“The correct term is envious and no, I am not,” his brother replied. From Diego’s spin, the bottle landed on Rachel, who was dared to chug down the rest of Klaus’ killer concoction. He’d made it for himself, so Diego knew that it was probably about ninety-percent pure alcohol. She managed to clear the cup, but not without retching and complaining about her throat being on fire.  
  
Her spin landed on Klaus, who’s space was temporarily empty, as he had gotten up to refill his drink now that it had been stolen from him.  
  
“Hurry up, Klausy-poo, it’s your tuuurn,” Laurie sung, swaying like she was on a ship.  
  
“Ohhh, me again, I feel like another truth,” he hummed, plonking himself back down in his spot between Diego and his drunk art friend. He took a swig of his drink and shook off the burn with a small crinkling of his nose.   
  
“What’s your favourite place to be kissed?” Rachel asked.   
  
That question seemed to stump Klaus a moment, as he gazed at the contents of his cup. “Is it lame that I wanna say my cheek?” he then uttered, lips curling into a wistful smile. “I can’t remember the last time someone kissed me there.”  
  
Diego didn’t expect such a tame answer from his lustful brother. In fact, he was rather blown away by how innocent it was, and also how heart-breaking. It was a true reminder of Klaus’ past relationships being nothing but sexual in nature, despite how much he yearned for something more meaningful. For someone to actually _love_ him.  
  
“How sweet,” Patch commented.  
  
“Yeah, I know. Now I feel like I have to do something extremely indecent to make up for being so sappy,” Klaus said. “Maybe I’ll go dry hump the couch.”  
  
“Or you could just spin the bottle,” Diego pointed out. He knew Klaus had a fleeting attention span; he’d get distracted the moment he’d have to come up with something filthy for someone else. Diego was correct on that account, as soon as the bottle landed on Laurie, he smirked, handed her his sketchpad, took off his shirt and told her to draw him like one of those French girls.  
  
Laurie complied and spent the next twenty minutes sketching while the rest of them continued the game. Chad had been dared by Laurie to do twenty shirtless push-ups with Rachel sat on his back. That had gone down well with a pair of ogling eyes from Klaus. Rachel was then dared to lick a trail all the way up from Chad’s abdomen to his jawline – which had also been ogled by Klaus, who really was just a pervert. Next up was Patch, who had been dared to feel up Laurie under her shirt while she was working, which just so happened to turn Diego into a pervert, too.  
  
“I’ve finished my pièce de résistance,” Laurie announced. “For you, my dear.” She handed the sketchpad back over to its rightful owner.  
  
Klaus took one look at the drawing, pressed his hand over his heart and gasped, “I look truly exquisite. I shall treasure it always.”  
  
Curiosity had Diego looking over his brother’s shoulder to see a surprisingly detailed sketch of the Séance lounging across the page like he was enticing someone to bed. Drawing must have been second nature to Laurie, as considering how drunk she was, this piece was entirely impressive.  
  
The game continued with a few more exploitative truths before the bottle landed back on Diego.  
  
“Dare,” he said.  
  
“I dare you to pick someone from this room and give them a hickey,” Laurie instructed. On instinct, Diego glanced at Klaus, and was briefly fixated on the crook of his neck. Until it hit him like a slap to the face. _What the ever-loving-fuck am I doing?_ How was _that_ the go-to impulse? His drunk brain must have thought it was funny. Klaus was his goddamn brother! Biological or not, they’d grown up together. Luckily for him, said brother hadn’t been paying attention (otherwise he would have a had a field day with that slip up), giving him ample time to instead turn his sights on Patch. She was pretty. And was already eyeing him like she wanted to be chosen.  
  
“How about it?” Diego said, attempting to sound suave.  
  
Patch’s answer came in the form of pulling her dark hair over her shoulder, to give the Kraken access to the bronze skin of her throat. Permission granted (as even drunk, Diego liked to think himself a gentleman), he crawled over and pressed his lips against her pulse point. There, he began to nip and suck, causing Patch to let out the softest of gasps. Spurred on by her enjoyment, he worked his fingers into her dark locks and gently pulled, guiding her head back to further expose her sensitive flesh.  
  
Having tortured the spot enough, he pulled away and smirked at the blossoming bruise he’d left behind. The evidence of his endeavour would be visible for days. That thought did at least turn him on a little.  
  
“For a moment there I thought you were gonna start sucking out her blood or something.” Klaus laughed, clapping facetiously at the performance.  
  
“Shut up.” Diego scowled. The next target for the bottle was Chad, much to the Kraken’s dismay. Having picked dare, Diego had every intention of keeping him away from Klaus, and well, Patch, too. So he dared him to take off Rachel’s skirt using only his teeth. The girl had been eyeing the blond jockstrap for the last hour, so he supposed he was also doing her a favour here as well. That event had kept him occupied for a while, until he eventually managed it. But it seemed his attempt to keep Chad away from Klaus was in vain when his spin landed on the Séance.  
  
“I think it’s time for a dare,” Klaus declared.  
  
A mischievous grin spread across Chad’s lips and Diego could do nothing but expect the worst.  
  
“I dare you to give Bullseye a lap dance.”  
  
Diego was sure if he’d been taking a drink of his vodka-orange he would have spat it out. But as it were, he could only choke on a breath.  
  
“Aren’t you kinky?” Klaus said, amused. “You do realize we’re brothers, right?”  
  
Chad shrugged. “I’m still into it.”  
  
“I’d like to see that, too,” Laurie added.  
  
“Me three,” came Rachel.  
  
“Fine then.” Klaus sprung to his feet, only slightly unsteady. “I’ll put on a serious show for you filthy perverts. Let me get set up.”  
  
  
Diego blanked for the next few minutes while steadily chugging down the contents of his drink. He was going to need all the alcoholic help he could get if he were going to get through this embarrassing disaster. Just when he thought his night couldn’t get any more absurd, he was being guided across the room to sit down on a wooden chair. That was when the music started playing. _Naughty Girl_ by _Beyonc_ _é._ Diego would have face palmed if he could actually feel any of his muscles. Like a deer in headlights he sat stiff and unable to breathe as Klaus appeared in front of him wearing nothing but his obscenely tight pleather pants and the pink feather boa that he’d stolen from Allison before they left.  
  
“You know the rules, Di, no touching,” Klaus said, right before leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Unless you want to.”  
  
Diego grabbed hold of the base of the chair for dear life as Klaus circled him, provocatively swaying his hips and drawings the soft feathers of the boa across his shoulders and jaw. Already overwhelmed with electrifying shivers, it only got more intense from there. As the music kicked in, so did Klaus’ desire for contact. He climbed onto Diego’s lap and twisted his arms loosely around his neck, lightly grinding his hips right against the Kraken’s crotch.   
  
Diego’s heart leapt to his throat, obliterated, along with all ability to make rational thoughts. He was enjoying this. There was no two ways about it. And that was _terrifying.  
  
_ “Ohhh… is that a blush I see?” Klaus teased. Diego had absolutely no fucking idea how his brother was remaining so straight faced, how he could even perform such a feat with this level of drive and composure. It was absurd. Just as absurd at how enchanting those penetrating hazel eyes were. And how absurdly _good_ it felt when Klaus stroked a finger across the underside of his chin. Getting far too worked up for his own good, Diego clenched his jaw in a desperate attempt to not let any humiliating noises escape his lips. This had to be the longest three minutes of his entire life. And by God did he not want them to end.  
  
But it did. And it was when Klaus had hopped off his lap to bow to his audience that Diego realized how aroused he’d gotten. His hickey session with Patch paled in comparison to how flustered he felt now. How utterly wrecked. The first thing he did after finding the will to stand was grab the bottle of expensive whiskey and bolt to his bedroom. There was no way he could face Patch after that. And more than anything right now, he needed to relieve himself.  
  
With the door slammed behind him, Diego downed the rest of the whiskey before collapsing on his bed. It didn’t take long for the room to start spinning and for his hand to make its way down the front of his pants.  
  
 _Do not think about Klaus._ _  
_ _  
_ _Do not think about Klaus._ _  
_ _  
Do not think about Klaus._ _  
_ _  
_He thought about Klaus.  
  
He must have blacked out shortly after relieving himself. Because the next thing he knew it was gone two in the morning and there was someone hovering over his bed, bathed in shadow. Instincts kicked in and Diego reached for his bedside knife, ready to shank the idiot who dared sneak up on him. Or at least that was what he intended to do.  
  
Except, the Kraken was still pissed off his face and only managed to sit up and look up at the figure with confusion. The switch to the lava lamp was pressed and a soft blue hue lit up Klaus’ face, revealing him as the intruder.  
  
“I err… came to check if you were okay? The party’s over. I sent everyone home. You did kinda kill the mood when you stormed out,” Klaus said. He bit his lip as his eyes tentatively made their way up from the floor to meet with Diego’s.  
  
“M’fine,” the Kraken muttered, fighting the drunken urge to wrap his arms around Klaus’ waist and drag him onto the bed with him.  
  
“Do you… want me to leave?”  
  
Diego shook his head. He _never_ wanted Klaus to leave. Having been granted permission, the Séance clambered onto the mattress and wiggled his way under the covers. Something felt unusual. There was a certain tension between them, Diego could feel it. Like a stifling heat, or a persistent itch. It seemed Klaus had noticed it, too, as he shifted uncomfortably, as if the bed suddenly felt foreign to him.  
  
“Diego… you know it was only a joke, right? I never back out of a dare… and I… I gave up a long time ago giving a shit what people think about me. But I forget you’re not like that and–”  
  
Diego pressed a finger against Klaus’ lips to shut him up. It didn’t feel right to listen to him talk like he’d upset him. He hadn’t. Everything Klaus had done today was quintessential Klaus. Diego was the problem. He was the one here right now, trying his best to suppress his carnal urges.  
 _  
I just need to get it out of my system,_ he thought to himself. Agreeing with his own ‘irrefutable’ reasoning, he slipped his hand beneath Klaus’ silky boxer-briefs, causing his brother to jerk and let out a sharp yelp.  
  
“Diego! What are you–!?” He grabbed hold of the Kraken’s wrist. But didn’t pull. Diego took that as sign, that it was only a reflex response, not a plea for him to stop. As if Klaus would ever turn down a hand job, no matter who it came from.  
  
“Shhh… just let me,” he whispered. Bewildered hazel eyes locked with unfaltering brown, and the grip around the Kraken’s wrist loosened. Diego’s lips twitched into a sort of lopsided grin as he took hold of Klaus’ growing erection, earning him a keen gasp. From there, he began to stroke, eager, yet teasing, testing various speeds until he found the pace that his sibling seemed to enjoy the most.  
  
He’d never seen Klaus succumb to pleasure before. Only ever heard it. Though right now, his brother was _silent._ It was strange, intimate. Usually, Klaus liked to let the whole world know he was getting close to orgasm. But not in this moment. This moment was different. Diego would have been offended if it were not for the fact that he could see the Séance’s composure crumbling before him. The way he was trembling all over and clinging to the pillow, desperate and panting.  
  
“Diego… I… I’m gonna…” Klaus couldn’t finish his sentence, too busy struggling to catch his breath.  
  
“Go on,” Diego instructed, assertive. He rubbed his thumb across the head of Klaus’ cock, and that was all it took for him to hit his climax. The Séance shuddered and let escape a half-stifled moan before going entirely limp. Diego removed his hand and grabbed a tissue from the conveniently located box on the bedside table. Cleaning off his fingers, he watched his brother ride out the waves of bliss, too tired and too drunk to wonder what he must have been thinking. All Diego knew was that he felt better. Like his need had been sedated.  
  
“Revenge is sweet,” he muttered, like that was the reason for everything. Like this whole experience was just sibling rivalry. Because that was better than the truth. The one that he refused to admit to even himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yupp this chapter derailed a bit. I'm not that great a writing murder mysteries... (it'll sorta get back on track) also yes, Diego is just clueless af.


	12. Chapter 12

Diego was met with nothing but instant regret when he opened his eyes the next morning. Assaulted by the sun’s rays, he groaned and listlessly covered his face with his palm, hoping that maybe the giant fucking star would just maybe disappear from existence. His whole body ached like he’d been wrung out like a wet towel, utterly depleted. And if that wasn’t enough reason to want to go back to sleep, the pounding in his skull certainly was. He had a whole-ass metal band playing up in there, one that must have contained about ten drummers. The brain fog had yet to clear as he rolled onto his side to feebly glance at the garishly pink Hello Kitty clock. It was gone afternoon. _Did he miss a class?_ It took him a shamefully long time to figure out what day of the week it was. And even longer to remember his timetable. But there was also something else he was forgetting. Something important.   
  
The urge to vomit stole his attention and Diego dragged himself out of bed to dart into the bathroom. It was on his knees, while worshipping the porcelain throne, that he noticed the smell of something greasy infiltrating his nostrils. The more he emptied his stomach, the more the scent went from repellent to sort of enticing. When he had nothing left to bring up, Diego flushed the toilet and made a beeline for his toothbrush, to wash away the foul taste of vomit from his mouth.   
  
Stood in front of the mirror, he noticed how shit he looked. He doubted even a good shower would fix this mess. Not that he had the energy to even try. Instead, he hauled his ass into the living room, where he spotted Klaus hovering over the stove.  
  
“You have impeccable timing, Di. I was just about to wake you for breakfast,” Klaus said, not turning away from his current task. Listening to the complaint his legs were making about carrying his weight, Diego slumped into one of the barstools at the counter and reached for the tall glass of ice water that had been left there along with a packet of Advil. Klaus really had been taking care of him a lot lately. He swallowed down two pills with a few swigs and then held the glass against his cheek, appreciative of the fact that it soothed his burning skin.  
  
He must have zoned out, because the next thing he knew Klaus was clicking his fingers in front of his face to gain his attention. Beneath him was now a plate, filled with a full greasy fry-up. The best cure for a hangover, apparently. Diego picked up his knife and fork and forced himself to take a mouthful of crispy bacon and burnt toast.   
  
Klaus was watching him from the other side of the counter, his chin rested on his arms that were laying across the shiny white surface. He looked worse than Diego did.   
  
“Have you even slept?” he asked.   
  
“I’m not sure. I think I might have dozed for about half an hour at some point. But it doesn’t matter, I decided to follow in your footsteps and downed five cups of coffee. I’m now buzzing like a bee.” Klaus’ gleeful tone really didn’t match up to the deep shadows around his eyes and the gaunt look in his pallid cheekbones.   
  
“Yeah, an undead bee,” Diego corrected. He brought another mouthful of egg to his lips but felt his stomach turn and another wave of nausea hit. “Christ, I feel like shit. How’d you deal with all the time?”   
  
“Well, I usually cure a hangover by continuing to drink,” Klaus replied.   
  
“You haven’t have you?” Diego questioned. It was a one day only deal, the last thing he needed right now was Klaus falling back into old habits.   
  
The Séance shook his head. “Alas, I have not. I had Patch take away the leftover alcohol to avoid temptation.”   
  
Diego was taken aback by that. “That’s strangely responsible of you.”  
  
“I know right? It’s weird when even drunk me makes good judgement calls,” Klaus said, right before being struck with some kind of epiphany. “Dear God, what have I become? Diego, swear to me, if I ever start wearing clothes deemed appropriate for work you’ll put me out of my misery? I can’t bear the thought of living like that.”   
  
“I swear,” Diego said, playing along with his sibling’s drama, as per usual.   
  
Klaus let out a theatrical breath of relief. “Thank you. You’re a good brother.”   
_  
Good brother._ It was in that moment that Diego remembered the important detail of what he’d been missing. Last night… he and Klaus… _shit._ What was worse was the realization that Klaus was acting like nothing at all had occurred between them, which only made him question… did it really even happen? Or was it just some drunk fantasy?   
  
“You all right there, Di?” Klaus asked, cocking his head to the side.   
  
“Klaus… am I imagining it or d-d-did I… last n-night?” He couldn’t even get the words out, too ashamed of his own actions.   
  
“Oh, do you mean if you jacked me off? Yeah, you did. It was lovely. Thanks. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”  
  
“Klaus!” Diego hissed sharply, unable to comprehend why his brother was being so trivial about it. “Shouldn’t we talk about this? Properly I mean?” He didn’t want to. He was one hundred percent certain that he didn’t want to. But he at least needed to say that. To give his brother the option.  
  
Nevertheless, Klaus waved him off flippantly. “No need. Twas a drunken venture, no? I’ve done plenty of taboo things before when inebriated, so I know the drill. I mean, I once got so drunk at the mall that I let some guy dressed as Santa rail me while I sucked off one of his elves. It was kinda awkward as they both had to work right after to hand out presents to kids.”   
  
“You’re an absolute disgrace,” Diego said, with a hint of fondness. Somehow that story made him feel weirdly better. Klaus could be scarily understanding at times.   
  
“I know, I’m insatiable. And should not be allowed to roam the streets due to my abysmal lack of morals.”  
  
“Yeah, you should be tied up.” _Poor choice of words._   
  
“So long as it can be to a bed.”   
  
  
It turned out that neither Hargreeves sibling had classes till the late afternoon, which gave the Advil plenty of time to take the edge off Diego’s headache and for Klaus to be forced into taking a nap.  
  
Not that the Kraken’s hangover wasn’t still plenty wicked by the time he made it to class. He’d even risked looking like a tool, having worn a pair of sunglasses, just to keep the worst of the sunlight from burning his retinas. As usual, Patch was already waiting for him at her seat. It seemed she’d also had the same idea with the sunglasses.   
  
“Rough morning, eh?” she said, cracking a grin.   
  
“I’ve had worse,” Diego replied. He slung his bag on the ground and rooted out his notebook and pens. “Not so much in the hangover department. But the beaten to a bloody pulp department.”  
  
“Ahh yes, of course, the mighty Kraken fighting foes in school boy shorts,” Patch laughed.   
  
“I outgrew those long ago,” Diego said, pointedly.   
  
“I hear you still wear the mask though.”  
  
He was about to ask how the fuck she knew that when he realized. “Klaus.”   
  
“Yeah, he told me a lot about you after you disappeared. I stayed for an hour after the others left to help clean up and to meet Number Twenty-Four, who is adorable by the way,” she explained. Heaven knew what other kind of embarrassing crap his brother had told her, not that he dared to ask. There were no secrets not worth divulging when it came to the Séance.   
  
“I see you made no attempt in covering _that_ up.” Diego gestured slyly towards the purple hickey exposed beneath her open collar.   
  
“Smooth subject change.”  
  
Diego just shrugged.  
  
“I had fun last night, despite how wild it got. It was like being in a room full of horny teenagers,” Patch said, laughing quietly as to not disturb the professor and his speech about something that Diego should have probably been paying attention to.   
  
“Yeah, Klaus never really grew out of that stage,” he then added. “Both physically and mentally.” It seemed the Séance would forever be scrawny and long limbed and unsafe to be left alone over too long a period of time.   
  
“He is a bit like a twig isn’t he?” Patch joked.  
  
“Yeah, pretty sure I could snap him in half if I wanted to,” Diego sniggered, a bit too loudly. The professor cleared his throat and stared straight at them, which was enough to bring both Diego and Patch to silence. They remained that way for about twenty minutes more, with Diego messily scrawling some notes into his book. He really fucking hated this professor.   
  
“So, I was thinking,” Patch began, careful to keep her voice low. Diego raised an eyebrow for her to continue. Seemed strange that she be the one to break the quiet between them. “Do you wanna maybe get dinner sometime?”   
  
Diego’s stomach dropped, along with his pen. “You mean like a date?”   
  
“Yeah, if you want to?”  
  
The Kraken hadn’t been put on the spot like this is a long time. It was strange, he would usually jump at the chance to take a smart and beautiful woman like Eudora out for dinner, but for some reason, he was _reluctant._ And then it was that one thought that popped up in his head: ‘what about Klaus?’ like he somehow mattered in this decision. Diego opened his mouth to splutter out some reply about him needing some time to think about it when his name was suddenly called.   
  
Grateful for the disturbance, he turned towards the stage to then be beckoned down by a different member of staff who must have snuck in when he was distracted. He mouthed an apology at Patch before descending the stairs and meeting with the man who he didn’t recognise.   
  
“What’s going on?” he asked.   
  
“The dean wishes to speak to you about your brother, there is an issue concerning a class disruption and a packet of illegal substances.”  
  
Diego inwardly cursed. Just when he was starting to believe that Klaus was getting his shit together.   
  
  
The walk to the dean’s office was an antsy one. Diego was fuming. He had every intention of grabbing Klaus by the collar and shoving him up against the nearest wall to yell at him for being the absolute worst. But then he entered the office, and saw the state he was in. Klaus was paper white and fidgeting, completely unable to sit still in the chair he was in. There was only two reasons for this, and neither were preferable. Klaus was either high… or _terrified._  
  
“Thanks for joining me, Diego,” Ramirez said. “Do you mind taking a seat.”   
  
Diego did as he was told and glanced towards his brother. Klaus seemed to be ignoring him. Whether it was on purpose or not Diego couldn’t tell. But his gaze remained locked on the floor as he chewed on his nails and rocked back and forth.   
  
“What happened?” he asked.   
  
“From what I’ve been told, Klaus had some kind of panic attack during his art class. Apparently, he was caught screaming at everyone to get away from him and was throwing objects when they wouldn’t comply. He frightened a lot of other students, which is unacceptable behaviour. At first I was led to believe that perhaps it was due to his… unusual circumstance. But then we found this in his bag.” Ramirez dropped the small packet of brightly coloured pills on his desk. “And now my assumptions have been swayed otherwise.”  
  
Diego drew his hands down his face and took the deepest breath he could muster to try and stay calm and professional. “So… what’s going to happen now?”  
  
“As you know we have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs. _However_ , I was made aware of Klaus’ struggle with addiction before he was enrolled here, and as this is technically his first offense, I have been inclined to issue a warning instead of jumping straight to expulsion. We have an excellent on-site counsellor here, that I believe Klaus will benefit from seeing. If he agrees to sign up, I will overlook this one incident,” Ramirez said. Although his tone was authoritative, it was also sympathetic, something that Diego greatly appreciated.   
  
“I’ll make sure he goes to every meeting,” Diego said, resolute.   
  
“Good, then you are both dismissed.”   
  
  
Outside the office, Diego grabbed his brother by his upper arm and dragged him to the nearest bathroom so they could talk in private. The first thing he did when he discerned that they were alone was grab Klaus by the jaw and turn him to face him, to check to see if his pupils were dilated like saucers.  
  
“I’m not high, Diego!” Klaus finally spoke, voice brittle and agitated.   
  
“Then what the hell were you carrying drugs around for?” Diego spat back. He let go of his sibling and thumped the shoddy wall tiles with the side of a fist.   
  
“I forgot they were there, OK?”   
  
Diego scanned his brother for any indication that he was lying. But he didn’t find one. And just like that the tension from his muscles began to fade along with his anger.   
  
“What happened?” he asked, much softer.   
  
Klaus wrapped his arms around himself and picked at the fabric of his sleeve. “They just appeared. All of them at once.”  
  
“Ghosts?”  
  
“No, Diego, fucking elephants!” Klaus’ jitters got worse and his breathing started to become erratic. “They were all the same. Just like that girl. Eyes gouged out and jaw gone.”  
  
Diego’s eyed widened. “Say that again?”   
  
Klaus ignored him and continued on his distressed rant, “I tried to drown them out, but then one of them _touched_ me. I felt her hand on my shoulder, cold as ice. That’s never happened before. And I… I don’t want them to be able to touch me, Diego.”   
  
“It touched you?” The thought sent a shiver down Diego’s spine. Klaus nodded, and as if the world had come crashing down on him, slumped back against the nearest wall. From there he slid down it until he was on the floor, with his knees hiked up against his chest. Diego swiftly joined him and shuffled up close till they were sat shoulder-to-shoulder.   
  
“I’m sorry for getting mad at you,” Diego uttered, breaking the suffocating silence. “But on other notes it sounds like your powers are getting stronger.”  
  
“Well, I wish they would just go away,” Klaus said, bluntly.   
  
“And I know this is probably bad timing, but what you said before about all the spirits having died the same. You know what that means, right?”   
  
“That someone has an unconventional hobby?” he replied, sarcastic.   
  
“Exactly. We have a serial killer on the loose.” This changed everything. The thing about serial killers was they didn’t stop. Not until they were caught. And this one clearly hadn’t been, which meant it wasn’t about solving the case of a dead girl anymore, it was about preventing someone else from joining her. Which was exactly why Diego knew he had no choice but to ask his next question. “I understand that you don’t want to, but I need you talk to them all, okay?”  
  
“You really are obsessed aren’t you?” Klaus uttered. He almost seemed amused, in a jaded sort of way. “I need incentive, because I really, _really_ don’t want to do it.”   
  
“I’ll go clothes shopping with you,” Diego stated. This seemed to get his brother’s attention.   
  
“But you HATE clothes shopping with me,” Klaus half-argued.   
  
“Only seems fair for me to do something I hate if you do something you hate. I’ll even carry all your bags and watch you do your routine fashion show in the changing room.”   
  
“Without complaining?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“And for a minimum of six hours?”  
  
“Fine.”  
  
“And then you’ll get a mani-pedi with me?”  
  
“Fuckin’ hell, you’re trying to torture me. But yes. I’ll do all of it.” Diego knew he would be in for hours of regret, but he was also aware that Klaus’ side of the bargain was still the one with the higher level of suffering. There was a difference between ungodly levels of boredom and paralyzing fear.   
  
“Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll be your private Ouija board,” Klaus agreed.   
  
  
With that settled, the boys headed back to their apartment to get set up. Diego knew that this was going to be a highly stressful situation for Klaus, so he made sure to make everything as comfortable as possible for him. The first thing he did, was make a nest of cushions on the floor for his brother to sit and drink the mug of herbal tea he’d made. He’d lit a couple of Lavender scented candles and let them fumigate (apparently that was Klaus’ go-to fragrance for when he was practicing yoga, so Diego figured it was considered calming). He’d also fetched Princess Glitter Bomb from his ‘throne’ (the wicker chair) and found his CD player, along with an array of music that he thought might help soothe him. Herr Fuzzy Socks had been moved into Diego’s bedroom, as Klaus didn’t want any of the ghosts to startle him – as animals had a sixth sense or whatever.   
  
Once Klaus had finished with his tea, Diego took his spot on the floor opposite his brother, this time with a notepad and pen. With Princess Glitter Bomb perched on his lap, the Séance picked out a CD and pressed one of the earbuds in place.   
  
“Backstreet Boys? Really?” Diego cracked a grin. His brother’s taste in music really did suck.   
  
“They have a certain charm, OK?”  
  
“Whatever you say, Bro.”   
  
Klaus took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Just gotta not be scared, right?”   
  
“You’ve got this. And whatever happens, remember I’m here to protect you. I’ll _always_ be here to protect you.”   
  
“I can’t tell if that’s your vigilante side talking, or if you’re genuinely being sweet,” Klaus said.   
  
“Can’t it be a bit of both?” Ever since he had the ability to do so, Diego had a desire to help others, to keep them safe. But it had always been so much stronger with Klaus. With him it wasn’t just a desire, but a necessity.   
  
All of a sudden, the room dropped in temperature, and Klaus clutched hold of his stuffed unicorn. The Séance often brought with him a chill, but never before had Diego been able to see his breath within his presence. Without thinking, he grabbed the blanket off of the sofa and wrapped it round his brother’s shoulders. He himself could deal with the cold.   
  
“They’re here,” Klaus muttered, voice barely audible. His eyes darted from point to point as he shrunk in on himself, cringing like something was making too much noise. “All right, all right. One at a time please. I can’t hear all of you at once.”   
  
When Klaus finally stopped squeezing the life out of his poor toy, Diego assumed that the group must have settled. He spoke to the first spirit and dictated her information back to Diego. She was one of the later victims, but other than a detail description of the mask the killer wore, was entirely unhelpful. The second spirit seemed to be quite a hysterical one as Klaus spent the first few minutes trying to calm her down. The third must have been overly talkative due to the way he was massaging his temples during the interview, as if to stave off a headache.   
  
All of them had the same story. Drugged on campus and taken to some unknown location where they were tortured until they died. None of them had an idea who had done it. What was apparent though, was that the killer seemed to have a type: young, pretty blonde women. And also had a ritual: sour candies and slow mutilation. Judging by the dates of each kill, Paige had been the first. She was also the only one buried on campus according to the rest of them, who’s bodies were also undiscovered. They had no idea where their remains were, only that they were missing. Whomever this killer was, they knew exactly what they were doing and how to stay off the radar. Students vanished all the time, whether it to be to travel the world, disappear from overbearing parents, or to run off and have a fleeting love affair. He only killed one person a year, enough to chalk down to just another student doing a runner. And the last one to be killed was fifteen months ago. Which meant either the killer had moved on… or was still here, waiting for another victim.   
  
“Are we done?” Klaus asked, lethargy evident in the drawl of his voice. He’d been struggling to sit up straight for the last hour and had periodically been slapping himself on the cheek when his awareness began to dip.   
  
“Yeah.” Diego flicked shut his notepad. With all this information he could probably figure something out eventually. Even if it meant interrogating each and every one of these dead girls’ relatives and friends.   
  
“You hear that ladies, thanks for your help. Now if you would kindly just leave through whatever entrance you came from, I would greatly appreciate it.” There was a moment of silence before Klaus drew his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell your mom you love her, OK. And yeah I’m sorry your dead but there’s nothing I can do about that. And no I can’t tell you if your cat is still alive, I don’t know. OK, OK, can you all please back off!?” Klaus’ sharp words seemed to turn the air stifling cold. “Look, just because I can hear you doesn’t mean I’m here to fix all of your problems.”  
  
The lights started to flicker, and Diego looked up to see the lampshade slightly swaying. It was accompanied by a faint buzzing in the air, like a static electric. _That’s new._  
  
“Err.. Klaus?” Diego tried, in vain, to get his brother’s attention.   
  
“Stop it! No! Don’t come near me!” Klaus flinched and swung a hand out through the air at his side, as if to bat something away. “Just shut up! All of you! Just shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”   
  
That was when Diego saw them. Just for a split second, between a flicker of the lights. A crowd of ethereal shapes all gathered around his brother in a claustrophobic circle. All it took was a moment for their grotesque features to be branded to memory. For his heart to entirely skip a beat. And for him to realize first-hand the true horror that his brother was forced to suffer.   
  
His stupor was broken when something shattered and he heard Klaus whimper. His brother was cowering now, muttering the same plea under his breath like a broken record. Instincts kicked in and Diego scooted over, ready to wrap him tightly in his arms.   
  
“It’s OK, I’m here. I’ll keep you safe,” he muttered, hoping that his sibling had heard. He took hold of the dangling earbud and placed it in Klaus’ other ear, to help out drown out the voices that must have been torture to hear. And then from there, he just continued to hold him protectively, while the Séance clutched hold of his shirt and trembled like a small child.  
  
Eventually, the lights stopped flickering and the tension in Klaus’ body began to fade. Having stopped hyperventilating, the Séance reached up and hesitantly took out one of his buds. He listened for a moment, before letting out a relieved breath.   
  
“They left…” he uttered, confirming Diego’s suspicions. Having deemed it safe, Klaus pulled away from him and gave the room a quick once over to make sure. “Not even Ben.”   
  
“Maybe he thought you’ve had enough of ghosts for one day.”  
  
“They probably annoyed him, too,” Klaus said. He then let out a theatrical whine. “Oh no. That was my favourite mug.”  
  
Diego glanced to where his brother was looking and saw the broken pieces of what used to be a cup portraying a scene of galloping unicorns racing across a rainbow. Klaus must have smashed it when he was flailing around. Worried, Diego scanned his brother over, to check for any bleeding. When Klaus realized what he was doing, he shook his head. “I didn’t break it.”  
  
“Well, neither did I.”  
  
Realization hit, and Klaus groaned like he was irrevocably fed up with life. “Oh great. Fucking ghosts are even destroying my belongings now. What’s next? They gonna pin chairs to the ceiling? Write messages in blood on the walls? Shave off my pubes? Oh wait. I already did that.”   
  
Diego could attest to this through direct experience.   
  
“Something tells me ghosts aren’t interested in your manscaping, Klaus,” he said.   
  
“Yeah, well, whatever. I’m going to go take a bath and hope that one of them doesn’t appear and try to drown me.”  
  
Diego spoke before his brain had chance to consider the weird implications, “I can make sure, if you want?”  
  
  
And that was how he ended up sat on the floor tiles next to the overflowing with bubbles claw foot tub. Klaus had used one of his bath bombs that turned the water into some pastel intergalactic nebula that smelt of something aromatic.   
  
“I swear one of these days you’re going to end up getting in the tub with me,” Klaus commented, offhand. He sunk further into the depths of the coloured swirls till just his face and shoulders were peeking out.   
  
“I’m not sure we’d both fit,” Diego said, because apparently the logistics of it were his argument, rather than the fact that it would be considered deplorable.  
  
“We would. It would just be… _intimate_.” Klaus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. And that was Diego’s cue to change the conversation.   
  
“I saw them, you know?”  
  
“Saw what? My ass cheeks? I did tell you to look away–”  
  
“No, I saw the ghosts.”  
  
“Oh…” Klaus’ gaze fell downcast into the water.   
  
“I never really understood what it must be like to see things that no one else can. Things that I sometimes struggle to truly believe in. I mean, I only got a glimpse and I was terrified. I really can’t imagine what it must be like for you.”  
  
Klaus remained silent but began to pick at the chipped porcelain with a vibrant green nail.   
  
“Do you know what’s worse? Sometimes I even felt a little envious of you. When Ben died it was unbearable, and for months I wished he’d just come back, so the hole in my heart would stop hurting. But for you it was like he never left.”  
  
The Séance smiled dismally at that. “Oh trust me, he left. To be honest with you, I sometimes wish he’d disappear – go into the light or whatever. Not because I don’t want him around, but because I know how much it sucks for him to be here. He can’t interact with anything or _anyone_ other than me. I mean, I don’t even like my own company, so for him to be stuck as my backseat driver… well, we all know how badly I drive.”   
  
“I think he stays because he cares. Just like I do,” Diego said. He splashed his brother in an attempt to get a proper smile out of him. It worked. But also came with the side-effect of getting splashed himself.   
  
“Can we talk about something else?” Klaus requested, amused at the sight of a dripping wet Kraken.   
  
“Uhhh…” Diego racked his brain for a topic. Any topic. “Well uhhh… Patch asked me on a date.”   
  
Klaus raised an intrigued eyebrow and peered over the side of the tub. “Oh? And what did this impetuous bachelor say?”  
  
“I didn’t get chance to answer as I had to come rescue your ass from the firing line again,” Diego replied.   
  
“Well then, what do you _plan_ on saying?” Klaus corrected. That question left Diego at a loss again. The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. “Do you at least like her?”  
  
Diego half-shrugged. “I mean… she’s got a cute butt.” But then again… so did Klaus. And she had a nice face, too. But also… so did Klaus. It seemed every part of her he liked, he couldn’t help but compare back to Klaus, like he was the benchmark. It didn’t make any sense. Or maybe it did, and he just didn’t want to think about it.   
  
“Wow… straight men really are profound,” Klaus muttered.   
  
Diego spoke without thinking, “Who says I’m straight?”  
  
Like he’d just won a glorious prize, Klaus’ eyes glinted, and a very mischievous grin spread from cheek to cheek. “Gotcha.”   
  
“I mean… I like g-g-girls. A lot.” Diego cursed himself and frantically rubbed the back of his neck. This was _not_ a revelation he wanted to be having in the bathroom while his very naked brother, (who he recently gave a handy to) was taking a bath.   
  
“I never said you didn’t. But it seems the truth is out now, dear Brother. Welcome to the world of bisexuality, I will be your guide.” Klaus playfully patted him on the cheek. “Well, actually, I consider myself more pansexual if I’m truly being honest. Although admittedly, I do daydream about the biological male form more than the alternative and–”  
  
“Klaus, you’re rambling,” Diego said, effectively shutting his brother up.   
  
“Yeah, I do that a lot,” he agreed. The Séance tuned out a moment, while the cogs in his brain seemed to turn. They fell in place soon after and he snapped back to reality. “Hey, can we sleep in my bed tonight?”   
  
“What’s wrong with mine?” Diego frowned.   
  
“Your room smells of sweat and cheap deodorant. _Mine_ smells of lavender and clean sheets, because unlike you, I know how to use a washing machine.”   
  
“Oi! I know to use a washing machine.”   
  
“That’s even worse.” Klaus overplayed his disgust with a crinkling of his nose and a dramatic recoil.   
  
Diego rolled his eyes but of course, relented. “OK, fine. But Princess Glitter Bomb isn’t joining us.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Why I am here again?” Klaus groaned, faceplanting the wooden desk in front of him. Diego had dragged his brother to the campus library to do a little digging. Now that they had a time-frame and location where all the victims had been kidnapped, it was likely that whoever was the killer was someone that was part of the college. Someone who knew the students, who knew their way around the location. Probably a staff member.   
  
“Because you were complaining that you were bored and wanted something to do,” Diego answered. He dumped a pile of old yearbooks on the table beside his brother, who didn’t even flinch at the loud bang of a noise.  
  
“Yeah but I’m _still_ bored!”   
  
“Well then you can help me do some sleuthing,” Diego said. He sat down on the chair next to the Séance and kicked his shin when he stubbornly refused to remove his face from the wooden surface. It took two more to finally get his attention.   
  
“Ughh. Fiiiiine.” Klaus peeled himself off the furniture and begrudgingly took the worn book that was offered out to him. “What are we even looking for?”   
  
“I want you to go through all the staff members, see which ones have been here for the last twelve years and make a note of them.”  
  
“Gotcha.”   
  
  
As expected, Klaus got tired of doing exactly what he was told about fifteen minutes in and instead started having fun with Ben, who was doing very little in the terms of ‘helping’ either.   
  
“Hey Benny, what do you think of this girl, huh? Most likely to become a cougar, am I right?” Klaus laughed to himself and pointed at another photograph. “This one is definitely most likely to get caught masturbating in a changing room.”   
  
Diego shook his head, deciding to leave his two idiot brothers to entertain themselves. It wasn’t like he expected Klaus to legitimately help anyways. His focus remained on the task at hand as he flicked through the glossy pages of the yearbook from the first and second recorded murders and scribbled down the names that appeared in both. He’d continue to add to this list and cross out any names of people that left or retired. There was very little chance of there being a copycat killer to one that hadn’t even been discovered.   
  
“Oh, hey look! It’s Ramirez,” Klaus announced, patting Diego on the shoulder to make him come see. “Looks like he became dean three years ago. I have to say, shaving the goatee was a good call. He looks much better without it.”   
  
“You’re so easily distracted; did you know that?” Diego remarked. This task was taking much longer than intended, he’d only managed the first five years, and already he wanted to slam his head against one of these hardcover books.   
  
“Blame it on my undiagnosed ADHD,” Klaus said, stretching out his legs and plonking his feet on the table, like he didn’t care if the Librarian could just walk around the corner and tell him off at any second.   
  
“We really should get you tested for that,” Diego agreed. Klaus’ attention problems and hyperactivity were evident long before he encountered drugs. Their father just didn’t believe in getting him tested, likely to maintain his perfect image an extraordinary human. The only one of them that got help for their mental health was Vanya, and that was because she was different, _ordinary._ _  
_ _  
_“Yay! More therapy!” Klaus clapped his hands sarcastically.  
  
“How did your meeting with that counsellor go by the way?” Diego asked, testing his ability to concentrate on two things at once.   
  
“Oh, you know, she was all sympathetic and caring, and tried to give me the talk on how drugs were not the answer to life’s problems. And then she kicked me out.”  
  
Diego paused in what he was doing and glanced at his brother who was now fiddling with the cord of one of the table lamps, flicking it on and off. “She kicked you out?”  
  
“Mhmm.”  
  
“For what?” _This will be interesting…_  
  
“We may have done one of those Rorschach tests and I may have told her that one of the ink splatters looked like her dead cat, Muffin, who was run over by a car.”  
  
“You saw her dead cat?”  
  
“Of course not. I saw her dead mother, who told me about the dead cat, Muffin.”   
  
Diego half wanted to laugh; half wanted to facepalm. So, he did both. “You’re batshit, did you know that?”  
  
“It’s one of my finer qualities,” Klaus joked.   
  
“You are at least allowed back, right? We made a deal with Ramirez that you would frequently see the counsellor,” Diego questioned. He started on the sixth book, flicking his eyes between his messy handwriting and the photographs of stiff looking faculty members.   
  
“Sort of. She actually wants me to see a specialist. I think I’m a little too kooky for her to handle. I mean, I imagine a lot of crazy people think they can see dead people. I’m the only one that just so happens to be crazy _and_ see dead people.”   
  
“Did you agree to that?” Diego cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t want to have to remind Klaus that he didn’t really have much choice in the matter, not if wanted to stay here and have a decent life.   
  
“Yeah, I did, don’t worry. As much as I hate talking about myself, I thought it was at least worth a shot.”  
  
The Kraken snorted at that, “Klaus, please, you _love_ talking about yourself.”  
  
“Gee, thanks Diego, make my sound like a narcissist why don’t you?” Klaus let out a huff and relocated his glare from one brother to another. “And you can shut up, too, Ben.”   
  
Diego knew what he meant really. There was a major difference between Klaus boasting about his ambitious sexcapades, than him revealing the deep dark turmoil of fears and insecurities that he had buried deep with his freaky head.   
  
“Anyways Bro, if you wanna be helpful again, mind getting me a coffee?” Diego pulled out his wallet and waved a couple of bills in his brother’s direction. Klaus’ eyes lit up the same way they always did when money was on offer, and he promptly snatched the notes.   
  
“You know you’re addicted to caffeine, right?” he then said, jumping to his feet to stretch. His too small a top rode up to reveal his navel. “I’m also not your slave.”   
  
“Well in case you didn’t notice, I gave you extra so you can get yourself something as well.”  
  
Klaus checked over the crinkles of green and pouted. “Only ten bucks? That will only just cover the drinks. I want a blueberry muffin.”  
  
Diego forked out another ten dollars. “Get me one, too.” He hadn’t eaten since breakfast so a little snack will probably do him good.   
  
“Aye, aye, Captain!” Klaus saluted and began to head off, only to have to stop in his tracks and turn around again when Diego called him. “What now?”  
  
“I’m trusting you, okay?” Diego always got a little nervous when his brother was carrying cash. Although he knew if Klaus really wanted to obtain drugs, he’d find a way, he was also aware that it was a hell of a lot easier to do so with money on hand.   
  
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”   
  
  
With Klaus running an errand, Diego turned his focus back to the books, distraction free. He admittedly wasn’t a fan of this part of investigating. Going through evidence, trying to put pieces together, that was all tedious work. He’d much rather be punching the bad guys in the face and throwing them into a cell himself because that was the bit he was _really_ good at. But sadly, the whole vigilante thing only went so far. It was easy to pursue a mugger or beat up a couple of robbers in the act. But to find an under the radar serial killer. Now, that was tough.   
  
Diego had managed to get through two more of the yearbooks when Klaus proudly returned with his haul brandishing a smirk on his face, one that made Diego extremely suspicious. He found out the culprit as to why it was there when the coffee cup was placed in front of him. Written on the plastic in black marker pen, was the words ‘Leather Daddy’.   
  
“Really?” Diego let of a weary breath. Honestly, he had expected nothing less from his immature sibling.   
  
“I mean come on! It’s accurate!” Klaus laughed his way back into the chair he’d left out and placed the packet of blueberry muffins on the table, with a pair of plates that he mysteriously seemed to have.   
  
“You didn’t…?” Diego frowned.  
  
Klaus shrugged. “What? I didn’t want to get crumbs all over our nice library.”  
  
“So you stole some plates?”   
  
“Starbucks won’t miss ‘em,” he shot back, indifferent, like that made it all okay. Sometimes Diego could barely believe in his brother’s level of absurdity and lackadaisical attitude towards the principles of society. But then again, he wasn’t exactly the most law-abiding citizen either. He may have snuck into a crime scene or two during his days and broken a few more bones than necessary when taking down scumbags.   
  
“You know it’s a good job I ain’t a cop yet,” Diego eventually muttered. Even if he were, he doubted that he’d arrest Klaus for petty theft. Though he really did need to reel in his kleptomaniac side, as others wouldn’t be so lenient.   
  
  
The Kraken spent the next two hours sipping his coffee and picking at his muffin, while he continued with his list. Klaus, by some ludicrous twist of fate managed to find a copy of the Karma Sutra stashed away in one of the shelves about sexual reproduction – which of course, was his go to. Diego tried not to get too side-tracked listening to his brother make his way through the pages, giggling like a school girl or quoting out loud whether or not he’d attempted that particular pose before. Spoiler alert: he’d done most of them.   
  
It was well into the evening when Diego finally finished his list. On it were a grand total of twenty-three names. Twelve of which, were long standing professors. The others were a mixture of cooks, groundskeepers, and cleaners – all people that had at least had access to the building.   
  
“I’m so glad my art teacher isn’t on there, I kinda like him,” Klaus said, chin propped up against Diego’s shoulder. “But I heard the music teacher Mr. Watkins is kinda weird.”  
  
“Oh?” Diego raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Yeah, apparently he puts his milk in the bowl before his cereal.”  
  
The Kraken lightly smacked his sniggering brother around the head. “Do you mind helping me put these books back?”  
  
Klaus groaned and flopped against him for dramatic effect. “Do I have to?”   
  
“I’m going to go with yes.”  
  
“God, you’re so bossy!” Despite his protest, the Séance stood up and took a couple of the heavy hardbacks and balanced them across his cast. He then disappeared around the shelves, muttering insults under his breath loud enough that he evidently wanted Diego to hear. The Kraken shook his head and went to pick up the remainder of the pile when a sudden clattering thud made him jump.   
  
He abandoned the stack and darted towards where the noise had come from, to see a collection of strewn books and a frozen Klaus, staring widely at an empty space between the shelves.   
  
“Hey, buddy, you okay?” Diego approached him cautiously and lay a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Laurie…” Klaus uttered, voice tremoring. Diego put two and two together and swore. _They were too late_. The shock seemed to catch up with Klaus in one big wave, as his knees buckled and he stumbled backwards into Diego, who had fortunately reacted fast enough to catch him. From there, he was lowered to the floor, where the tears finally escaped his watering hazel eyes.   
  
“I’m so sorry,” Diego said, unsure of how else to really respond. He did what little he could and used his thumbs to try and wipe away the trickling droplets from pale cheeks. But no matter how many he ridded, more continued to fall. In the end he gave up and pulled Klaus against his chest, to wait for the worst of the heartbreak to fade.   
  
Or until he couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. This case had become personal now, and they were slap bang in the middle of it, which only fuelled Diego’s need to solve it. Heart racing, he gently coerced his brother into looking at him and spoke in a soft but determined manner, “I need you to ask her what happened, okay?”  
  
For once, Klaus was entirely compliant. He looked back at the empty space, sniffled, and opened his mouth to speak. “She says that someone snuck up on her while she was searching for a place to crash after our party, as Chad and Rachel had hooked up and taken the dorm room.”  
  
Diego swallowed thickly at that, already seeing the evidence of guilt parading itself across his brother’s features. “It’s not your fault.”  
  
Whether or not Klaus believed him was unclear, but regardless, he continued to do as he was asked with commendable resolve. “She was too drunk to know who took her. But the room she woke up in definitely had a furnace… one of those big ones, it looked really old. She also says that whomever it was, was most definitely a guy. She managed to bite him while he was attempting to force feed her sour candy and the noise he made sounded masculine.”  
  
“That actually takes off a good five people from my list,” Diego said. “And the furnace… maybe that’s how he’s ridding the evidence? It would explain why none of the spirits could locate their bodies if there was nothing left but ash. Paige was the first, the only one six feet under. Maybe he killed her before he got the furnace working and had no choice but to bury her somewhere quick. He must have figured it would be too risky to move her again afterwards, so he left her to rot. The furnace room must be located on the grounds somewhere. We have to find it.”   
  
“Diego… I want to go home.” Klaus’ plea caught him off guard. It was so utterly distraught that it was like a splash of cold water to the face. For a moment he was torn, half wanting to continue his burning hot investigation, and half wanting to discard it all for the sake of his brother. But the choice was clear.   
  
“I’ll take you home,” Diego said.   
  
  
With his brain working overtime, Diego walked his brother back to their apartment, only to hover outside the door.  
  
“Aren’t you coming in?” Klaus questioned, sounding rather timid.   
  
“I can’t. I have to see if I can find the blueprints to this place. We’re so close to solving this now, I can feel it.” Diego could barely stand still with all the energy buzzing around his body. To bring justice to a serial killer really would make the world a better place and save many future lives. If he could find this furnace room, he could probably find evidence, and narrow down further his list of suspects.   
  
“Good ol’ Number Two, the true face of the Umbrella Academy.” Diego barely had chance to see the bitter smile that graced Klaus’ features before the front door was slammed in his face. “Goodnight, Diego.”   
  
The Kraken didn’t have time to be offended by the rude gesture. Klaus’ mood was understandably shitty. Losing someone you cared about was a pain that Diego was all too familiar with. But they were taught to shoulder the burden and look forward. Right now, Klaus just couldn’t see the bigger picture, how Diego was doing this _for_ him as well. Surely, he’d feel better knowing that the scumbag that killed Laurie was behind bars, imprisoned for life. Regardless, he made a mental note to make it up to him later, when this was all over. Maybe they’d finally start watching _Gossip Girl_ , since he had been putting it off this entire time.   
  
  
Figuring out the best course of action, Diego headed back to the library and made a beeline for the section on the building’s history. From another hour’s worth of reading, he learnt two things.   
  
One: The college used to be an old hospital from back in the late 1800s. It was renovated sixty years ago, but the layout had mostly stayed the same.   
  
And Two: There was in fact a basement, or a crematorium to be more specific. It was located underneath one of the dorm buildings that used to contain the morgue.   
  
He’d asked the Librarian about the place, but she assured him that the entire subterranean section had been blocked off since the renovations. That probably wasn’t a lie, as all but one of the faculty probably thought they exact same thing. This place was the perfect hunting ground for a smart killer, one that had managed to fool everyone.   
  
Tomorrow, he’d find his way into the underground. He’d discover what this bastard was hiding. But for now, it was time to head back home.   
  
  
Diego was half way up the stairs when he heard loud banging coming from their apartment, followed by a whole bunch of clattering. It was a set of noises he was all too familiar with. _Ransacking._ Assuming the worst, he pulled out a well concealed knife from his ankle sheath and crept his way to the top of the steps. There, he pinned himself to the wall to the side of the front door, and gradually turned the handle, opening it just a crack. Peering in, he waited till he saw movement. A familiar set of pleather pants rushed past the gap, and Diego immediately pocketed the knife.   
  
He then announced his arrival by forcing open the door and yelling, “Klaus, what the hell are you doing?” The apartment was a mess. Couch cushions had been thrown, the kitchen drawers had been emptied and left scattered across the floor, even some of Klaus’ decorative trinkets had been smashed on the ground.   
  
“What does it look like, Diego!?” Klaus shot back. He briefly stopped in his manic search to tear at his brown curls. “I can’t take it anymore. I want all these fucking ghosts to go away. And all these shitty feelings. I just want to be _numb_ again.”   
  
“You’re not getting high, Klaus,” Diego said, sternly.   
  
“And why the fuck not? You care more about your shitty investigation than you do me, you made that _perfectly_ clear,” Klaus argued. The hysterical laugher that followed cut through Diego like one of his knives. But instead of blood, all it left was a trail of fire.   
  
“Don’t be ridiculous, you know I care about you!” he snapped. The fact that they were even having this argument was insane.   
  
Klaus closed the space between them and with a wry smile, prodded Diego in the chest. “No. You care about my powers, Diego, how they can benefit you. You’re just like Dad.”  
  
That insult hit a nerve and the Kraken gritted his teeth. “You t-t-take that b-b-back,” he threatened, almost ready to start throwing punches. _He was nothing like that asshole._  
  
“Or what, Diego? You going to use your authority as Number One against me? Oh wait, that’s Luther. You’re Number Two. I always get you two mixed up, because you’re both always kissing Dad’s ass trying to be his favourite little soldier.”  
  
Diego shoved his brother to the floor. In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t realized how much force he’d used until he heard the plaster on Klaus’ wrist crack. Not that he had the ability to care, to see past the shade of red that was currently clouding his vision. Diego was hot-headed, he always had been. Like Vanya used to say, he never knew when to quit. Which was why he was now here, making the stupidest decision of his life. Why he was pinning the person he cared about most against the ground. Why he had a hand circled around his neck. And why he was about to say the shittiest things he had ever said. “I’d rather be Dad’s perfect soldier than pathetic junkie scum.”  
  
Klaus sneered at that and was unnervingly cold when he next uttered the words that would later rattle Diego. “Some things aren’t worth fixing.”  
  
There was a blur of motion, and then a sharp pain to the side of his head that left Diego reeling. He fell to the ground and rolled onto his back, trying to blink away the blurriness in his vision. Klaus had an impressive left hook, made especially impressive due to the rock-hard covering.   
  
He must have blacked out for a few moments, or maybe even longer, because when he next came to, the Séance was gone and the door to the apartment was still hanging open.  
  
“Shit.” Diego scrambled to his feet, a motion he quickly regretted when he was hit with a wave of nausea. Trying to steady himself, he brought a hand to his head and felt a smear of dried blood near a small open wound. He hissed when his fingertips came into contact with it. _Fuck_. It stung like hell. Klaus really had walloped him one.   
  
Then it hit him again. This time harder. Klaus was _gone._ Panic set in and Diego reached for his cellphone, frantically pressing the speed dial contact for his brother. He held the receiver to his ear and listened to what felt like a never-ending cycle of ringing.   
  
“Come on, pick up you idiot,” Diego said.   
  
_“Heeeey, you’ve reached the voice mail of one Klaus Hargreeves. If I you’re here to arrange a booty call, please leave a message after the tone. If I owe you money,_ _please refer to my accountant, Diego, who handles all my finances. You’ll find his number etched on a stall at every gay bar in the city. Look for the one with a little heart next to it.”_

  
****Beep****.  
 _  
_“Klaus, it’s me. If you get this please call me back. I’m sorry for what I said, I didn’t mean it, I swear. Just please don’t do anything stupid, OK? I’m w-w-worried about you.” Diego hated when his stutter gave away his crumbling emotions. It was hard to picture the word when he couldn’t think straight.  
  
With very little hope that Klaus was call back, he hung up. Then found and clicked the number for the only other contact he had: Patch. She answered on the second ring.   
  
“Hey, Diego, what’s up?”  
  
“Patch I… I fucked up. And now Klaus is m-m-missing, and I need to find him. I think he’s going to use again,” he confessed, struggling to keep his words clear.   
  
“I’ll be right over.”   
  
  
Waiting for Patch was torment. Every second that he spent not looking for his brother was every second spent agonizing over the danger he could be in. By the looks of things the best-case scenario would be them finding him high as a kite, but otherwise alive and well. Worst case… well Diego _really_ didn’t want to think about that. Needing something to calm his nerves, Diego opened up Number Twenty-Fours hutch. The masked bunny was jittery but jumped straight into his offered arms. Diego took him towards the couch and perched himself on the uncomfortable frame. The Button Muncher settled on his lap, much to his relief, and he began stroking his fingers through his soft fur.   
  
Patch must have jogged over from the dorms, because when Diego spotted her stood in the open doorway, puzzled by the mess of the apartment, there was a thin veil of sweat coating her face.   
  
“What happened?” she asked, tiptoeing her way around the shattered pieces of porcelain that were once dainty little dragon figurines.   
  
“Klaus was looking for drugs,” Diego answered. He tried not to grimace at that.   
  
“And what happened to your face?” she then followed up with. Her hand reached out to check over the wound, but Diego pulled away before it could reach him. It wasn’t him trying to tough it out, but more to refuse any kind of comfort for an injury his sorely deserved.   
  
“Klaus defending himself.”   
  
“I see.” Patch nodded. “Do you have any idea where your brother would run off to?”  
  
Diego took a moment to collect his thoughts, he had to think about this like a detective. “He’s probably aiming to get high, which means he’ll have looked for a dealer. I don’t think he would have picked one on campus as he knows I know who they all are. I’m the last person he’ll want to see right now.”  
  
“Which means he’ll probably have gone to town. I know the area well enough; we can check all the alleyways that are known for shady business. Does he like to go somewhere specific when he takes anything? Like a motel room, or a park?”  
  
Diego shook his head. “Klaus doesn’t think that far ahead. Once he’s got what he wants he’ll just find any spot that he can be hidden, and he’ll shoot up.”   
  
“Will he be looking for any drug in particular?”  
  
“Klaus will take anything he can get his hands on so long as it blitzes his brain. But he does have a tendency to seek out heroin when he hits rock bottom.”   
  
“Do you think he’s hit that point?”  
  
Diego tried to imagine what it must have been like to be Klaus right now. To have just lost a close friend. To have been taken advantage of by his own brother. To still be trapped in his own nightmare that no one understood. “Yeah… I think he has.”  
  
“All right, let’s go.”   
  
The Kraken returned Herr Fuzzy Socks to his hatch with a promise that he’d find his more favoured parent. Then the pair got in Diego’s car and they drove down to the nearby town, hoping to find the Séance.   
  
  
They parked the car on the side of the road of the lamplit street. It was getting late out; the moon was already high in the sky, obscured by thick grey clouds. The likelihood of it raining soon was pretty high, which only increased the urgency to find Klaus. His brother cared little about the impact of getting drenched in the cold during the best of times. If he’d already found his hit, he’d be even less inclined to find shelter.   
  
“We should split up, we can cover more ground that way,” Patch suggested. She pointed towards the left end of the long street, aligned with old brickwork stores adorning swinging signs and unlit windows. “You got that way, check all the back streets. We’ll meet back here in thirty?”   
  
Diego nodded and took off jogging in his direction. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to do the back-alley crawl, looking for his drug abusing brother. The first couple of times it had happened, he’d been joined by the rest of his siblings. But as the cycle repeated and repeated, one by one the Hargreeves gave up on the impromptu searches. They’d gone numb to Klaus’ plight, realized that he was not their responsibility, their burden. Convinced themselves that Klaus would be fine. Because he always was in the end. No matter how many drugs he took, no matter how many times he was resuscitated, he’d always be there cracking jokes and acting all whimsical.   
  
But Diego never could just give up. Because that niggling thought never left, that worry that this time would be the time he genuinely needed him. It was always that notion that spurred him to continue, to be that one person that truly gave a shit, even if it chipped away at his own sanity.   
  
The Kraken checked alley to alley, looking for the scantily dressed form that was Number Four. But each one was a bust. Most were barren, containing nothing but trashed filled skips and the occasional rat. Some had a member of the homeless bracing against the chill in their cardboard homes. Even fewer had a shady figure, dressed in oversized hoodies crammed with packets of illicit substances. Those were the ones that Diego at least had hope for. But even when he approached those individuals, and slammed them against the walls, none of them had admitted to seeing anyone matching Klaus’ description.   
  
Having completed his stretch, Diego headed back to his car. Frustration kicked in and he perched himself against the bonnet, burying his face in his hands. He was no closer to finding his brother than he was before even leaving the apartment. Spurred by the urge to vent, he thumped the side of his fist against the bitingly cold metal and prayed that Patch had gotten lucky.   
  
She returned a few moments after with urgency in her footsteps.  
  
“Anything?” Diego asked, perking up.  
  
“Yeah. I went into one of the local bars and the bartender says he served a couple of drinks to a guy matching Klaus’ description. Said he looked really miserable and wouldn’t shut up.”  
  
“He went to a bar?” Diego could barely believe it. That was actually… _good_. Maybe Klaus had decided to get drunk instead? Although that wasn’t ideal, it was better than the alternative.   
  
“Though he did leave over an hour ago,” she then added. “He was pretty drunk apparently.”  
  
“OK… that’s a start. Maybe he got hungry? We should check any food joints that are still open that are within walking distance.”   
  
Drive refuelled, he pulled himself away from his car, and almost jumped when his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. There were only a handful of people that had this number: Patch, his father, and his siblings. Reggie would be locked away in his study right about now. And Luther, Allison and Vanya were not the type to call up in the middle of the night for a friendly chitchat. Which only left…  
  
Diego’s heart leapt as he pulled out his cell. Except the number on screen wasn’t Klaus’. It wasn’t even one he recognised.   
  
“Is this Diego Hargreeves?” the voice was composed and professional, and it caused Diego’s chest to tighten in dread.   
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“This is Spring Valley General Hospital calling on behalf of a Klaus Hargreeves. You’re his emergency contact, correct?”  
  
“Y-Y-Yes.” That had been his role ever since Klaus turned eighteen, and in that space of time, he’d received five phone calls. All of them over the same crisis. Diego knew before the receptionist even continued, that this would be the sixth.  
  
“He was recently brought in via ambulance, due to suffering a major heroin overdose. He is currently in critical condition and is unresponsive. We need you to come in as soon as possible to discuss treatment and medical history.”  
  
“I’ll be right there,” Diego said, his voice brittle. He hung up after that and promptly slumped back against his car. Reality struck him hard in the stomach and he felt dizzy. The words ‘critical condition’ flared up inside his head like a siren.   
  
“Diego?” Patch walked into his field of view, temporarily snapping him from his distraught trance. “Everything okay?”  
  
“K-Klaus… he’s at the hospital. We have to g-g-go.”  
  
“I’ll drive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took a while... I got distracted. Also sorry for that ending.


	14. Chapter 14

His arrival at the hospital was met with a barrage of questions, ones that Diego struggled to answer. Not because he didn’t know the information, but because he was too in shock to dictate it. His stutter had come back full force and no matter how much he tried to remember Mom’s words, he just couldn’t, and that only made things more stressful. It was strange, Diego tended to pride himself on maintaining decent composure during intense situations, but as soon as he heard the words ‘respiratory failure’ he had all but lost sense. This was a whole new level of crisis. One that Diego was in no way shape or form prepared for. 

“This is all m-m-my fault,” he muttered, hunched over with his head in his hands. They were in the waiting room now, listening to the faint sound of the air con and smelling nothing but disinfectant in this overly bright white room. Diego felt like he was standing on the edge of one of his knives, not knowing if Klaus was even going to pull through. 

“What makes you say that?” Patch asked, continuing to gently rub his back. It was the only thing that was keeping him grounded, reminding him that he wasn’t floating away on some nightmare.  
  
“I kept p-p-pushing him to use his p-p-p-powers. I’ve just b-been so obsessed with this c-case that I couldn’t even see how much I was h-h-hurting him. I wasn’t there when he n-n-needed me. H-How can I save the world when I can’t even p-p-protect my own b-brother?” Diego cursed himself again. Then a third time when his eyes betrayed him, and the tears began to fall down his cheeks. He had made such a mess of things. The whole point of going to college in the first place was to get away from everything, live a normal life. And yet somehow he stumbled back into his old one. “I’ve been a fucking j-jerk.”   
  
The last time he cried like this, Ben had died. The thought of losing another brother, especially Klaus, was overwhelming. Slowly but surely, his family was getting smaller and smaller. They were all he had in the world, except maybe Patch, and Diego so desperately didn’t want to be alone. Even if he liked to pretend to be.   
  
“It’s not your fault, Diego. You’re not responsible for him,” Patch said. Even though he knew she was only trying to help, the remark irked him a little.   
  
“But I am though,” he argued. “Ever since we w-w-were kids we’ve been taught to have each other’s backs. We spent our childhood growing up in d-d-dangerous situations, we always had to p-protect each other and I always t-t-took that seriously. No one else c-c-cares about him like I do.”   
  
“I understand that, but Diego, you’re not kids anymore, and you’re not in those situations. He’s a semi-functioning adult. He _chose_ to take those drugs. This isn’t me telling you to stop worrying or caring but telling you that you can’t let the guilt eat you up inside. I’ve seen first-hand what it can do to a person.”  
  
Diego looked up at her curiously. “What do you mean?”  
  
“My father’s partner, he was with him during that shooting at the mall. He believed that it was his fault my dad died because he made the decision to escort a couple of wounded hostages outside. He never forgave himself for it and ended up committing suicide two years later,” she explained.  
  
“That’s awful…” Diego murmured. He didn’t want to picture himself in the same shoes. To imagine how he would cope if the worst happened to Klaus. He’d gotten through Five’s disappearance with the hope that he was still out there, living some genius life. And Ben… he only got through that _because_ he had Klaus. He had always been his rock. He butted heads with Luther too much to have a proper conversation with him, let alone share feelings. Allison was always too busy in the perfect world that she had created to really comprehend anything else. And Vanya… he barely had much of a relationship with her to begin with.   
  
He couldn’t lose Klaus. He just _couldn’t._   
**  
**“Diego Hargreeves?” the Kraken looked up to his name being called, to see a doctor heading his way. He immediately stood up and greeted that white-coated man with a pounding heart.  
  
After swallowing thickly, he uttered his question, “How is he?”   
  
“Well, the good news is we’ve managed to stabilize your brother. But the bad news is he is currently in a coma due to the toxicity of the drugs in his system, which caused cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. On top of that, we are worried that the oxygen deprivation may have caused damage to brain functionality, but I’m afraid we won’t know the extent of this damage until he wakes up… if he does.”  
  
“ _If?_ ” Diego spluttered.   
  
“Klaus had taken three times what is considered the safe dosage of heroin, not to mention the alcohol in his system, which suggests a suicide attempt. We’re honestly surprised he made it this far,” the doctor said.   
  
Diego shook his head, unable to truly comprehend what he was hearing. Klaus was a mess, but he was _never_ suicidal. If anything, his brother seemed to enjoy life, or at least he tried to. Even with his God-awful powers looming over him, he’d always find something to cling to that he enjoyed, whether that be sex, or shopping, or even just painting his nails. Surely, Diego couldn’t have been the cause of this… could he?   
  
“I can take you to his room if you’d like to see him?” the doctor offered. Diego nodded, both eager and reluctant.   
  
After telling Patch that he’d rather do this alone and that he’d taken up enough of her time already, Diego followed the doctor down the fluorescent corridors until they stopped outside a room. The man opened the door for him, and Diego held his breath as he stepped inside, to be greeted by an image that would forever haunt him.   
  
Diego had never seen Klaus so still in his life. He was always a restless sleeper, fidgeting or talking. But right now he was just… _frozen_. And it was haunting. To his eyes, Klaus was just a lifeless husk. One being held together by the tubes and wires that were hooked up to the machines preventing him from slipping into that frightening abyss. It was hard to look. To listen to the soft beep of the EKG that proved that a heart was still attempting to pump inside his chest.   
  
“I’ll leave you two alone,” the doctor said, right before closing the door behind him. Diego had no choice but to go forward now, to see the consequence of his stubbornness and his short fuse. His pulse was racing as he approached the sterile bed and perched himself on one of the chairs that had been placed next to it. Up close Klaus looked even worse. Like a porcelain mannequin about to crumble into dust.   
  
“I… I’m s-s-s-sorry,” Diego muttered, guilt rushing up to the surface. He dug the sides of his hands into his eyes as the tears threatened to spill once more.   
  
“Christ on a cracker… I made the Kraken cry… didn’t think you cared for me so much, Di.” The familiar voice startled Diego into jumping from his seat. His eyes shot towards the bed where Klaus lay, silent, unconscious, and definitely unable to speak due the tube down his throat. _I’m going crazy…_  
  
“Shit, did you actually _hear_ me?” There it was again. The voice. Diego snapped his head to the side, to where the noise was coming from, just to see the one thing he did _not_ expect.   
  
“ _Klaus!?_ ” Diego’s eyes were wide, and his jaw hung slack off his face.   
  
“So you CAN see me?” Klaus was stood just a few feet away, with his hands on his hips and an intrigued expression.   
  
“What the hell are you doing over there, when you’re also over here!?” Diego pointed frantically to both places that his brother currently occupied. It was then he noticed the bluish sheen that coated his standing sibling, giving him an ethereal glow. “Wait. Are you a ghost?”   
  
“Hmmm… I don’t think so. My guess is I’m somehow astral projecting, being so close to death and all,” Klaus replied, glancing over at himself in the bed. “Man… these hospital gowns really aren’t flattering. Ugh. They could have at least let me die with my accessories on so I could maintain _some_ form of dignity.”  
  
Diego was entirely stumped for words. The neurons in his brain were firing too fast for him to make sense of anything, so he tried to break it down in his head.   
  
_\- Klaus is dying._ _  
_ _  
_ _\- There were two versions of his brother in the same room. One of them comatose. The other fucking see-through._ _  
_ _  
_ _\- Klaus is dying._ _  
_ _  
_ _\- Klaus is astral projecting his own spirit, that he can see and interact with._ _  
_ _  
_ _\- Klaus is_ ** _dying_** _and he sounds…_ ** _okay_** _with it._   
  
That last one hit Diego like falling bricks. Like a match had been struck inside him, the flame spread quickly through his veins.   
  
“Klaus how can you be so casual? How can joke when you’re lying there _d-d-dying_!” Diego snapped. His fists were shaking at his side and he knew he was seconds away from bursting into tears all over again. “How could you do this to yourself? To me!”  
  
Klaus flinched at his tone and diverted his gaze to the floor. “I don’t know.”  
  
“What do you mean you don’t know!?” Diego was getting fed up with all this bullshit, of Klaus constantly skirting away from the truth.   
  
“I mean I don’t know, Diego!” he retorted, stamping a silent foot on the ground. “I don’t remember getting high. Even when I overdose I tend to remember the process of, y’know, melting down the drugs, sticking it in a needle and stabbing myself in a vein. It’s a lengthy process, heroin doesn’t just come in a pre-prepped in a gift box wrapped in a pretty pink bow.”   
  
“And I’m supposed to believe that coming from a compulsive liar? One that I know for a fact got drunk?”  
  
The tension took a dive when Klaus shrugged, having already given up the argument. “Believe what you want, Diego. You always have. Either way, I’m as good as dead.”  
  
With those words, the heat inside the Kraken was drowned out with anguish. “You’re really o-o-okay with this? W-With dying?”   
  
Klaus’ smile was wistful as he slumped into the other chair, somehow managing to maintain enough physical tangibility to remain seated. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever felt normal. It’s quiet like this, peaceful. There’s no aches or pains, no voices to drive me nuts, no follow up headaches, no all-consuming cravings. It’s the ultimate high. Kinda ironic, don’t you think?”   
  
“You can’t be serious?” Diego felt like his heart was literally going to break.   
  
“I mean would dying really be so bad? At least this way I won’t be dragging you down anymore. I mean, I appreciate that you always tried to be there for me, all noble, like my own Knight in Sexy Leather. But we all know I’m a lost cause.” Klaus’ greenish-brown eyes trailed back to the bed, to the machine monitoring every beat of his heart, like it was suddenly about to stop. “Hey, maybe it’ll give you chance to move on and do some naughty things with Patch?”   
  
“I don’t want to do naughty things with Patch,” Diego said, no longer able to think before speaking.   
  
“Ouch. You better tell her that because she’s crazy into you.”   
  
“You can’t die, Klaus,” he stated, desperate. Something was ticking inside him. Like a bomb about to explode, a revelation.   
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because you can’t!”  
  
Klaus rolled his eyes and scoffed, “That’s not much of a reason, Diego.”   
  
“You can’t die because I love you, Klaus!”   
  
“Yeah, well, you loved Ben, too. But that didn’t stop him from being torn apart by inter-dimensional tentacles.”   
  
“No, you can’t die b-b-because I’m _in love_ with you.” And that was the explosion. The confession he’d buried deep inside him all this time. It all made sense now. How his whole world always felt like it revolved around Klaus Hargreeves. Every decision he ever made always had a spot for Klaus. Like he was one of the knives in his collection. His _favourite_ knife. The one he took with him everywhere.   
  
The Séance let out a theatrical sigh, buried his face in his hands, then burst into a fit of laughter. Diego frowned and shifted on his seat, feeling utterly self-conscious. That was not the reaction that he was expecting. “What’s so funny?”  
  
“You seriously waited till I’m basically dead to tell me that you love me?” Klaus was almost cry laughing now. “And I thought _I_ was the one with a flair for the dramatic.”   
  
Diego’s cheeks lit up and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Shut up!” he huffed.   
  
“It must be a family trait, to fall for one’s siblings. Luther and Allison. You and me.”   
  
“Y-You feel the same?” Diego could scarcely believe it, which was probably dumb of him, according to Klaus’ next reaction.   
  
“Are you kidding? You really think I flirt that brazenly on a whim? I know I’m a slut, Di, but damn I’ve been dropping hints for you since I hit puberty and my first boner came from seeing you do a backflip in leather pants,” he snorted. “And I mean _look_ at you. Diego, you look like Antonio Banderas, who is like my biggest celebrity crush.”  
  
“Thanks, man,” Diego definitely took that as a compliment. And now that he thought about it in a clearer light, his brother really had been like a neon sign asking him to fuck him. In fact, he did actually ask him to fuck him once, when they were watching _The Lord of the Rings._ It seemed he had, in fact, noticed all his flirting… he’d just been in denial. They’d grown up together after all. And even though they weren’t biological, there was still stigmatism attached to falling in love with a sibling. But hey, they were never normal kids. For once, Diego figured that maybe he should take a page from Klaus’ book and just stop giving a shit about what people might think. Because in the end, who cared?  
  
“So, do you think you can find a way to hop back into that body of yours?” he then said.  
  
“Will you kiss me if I do?” Klaus smirked at him, already testing the waters of their newfound step in their relationship. Diego took it as a challenge and leant over his unconscious brother’s frame and gently placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.   
  
“Awhh, you remembered, you big softie.” The Séance touched the spot where Diego had kissed on his own ghostly face and immediately threw a small tantrum. “Goddammit! Now this really sucks! I can’t feel shit!”  
  
“Well, there’s plenty more waiting for you,” Diego said, half amused by Klaus’ frustration. He hoped it would be good enough incentive to aid the process of healing. Honestly, he would shower his dumb brother with them if it meant he’d wake up.   
  
“If only I knew _how_ to zap my soul back to my sorry state of a body,” Klaus sighed. It was an improvement at least, from his bleak outlook from before.   
  
“Maybe it’s just a waiting game? I imagine you have to recover,” Diego assumed. It wasn’t like Klaus had the ability to heal at an accelerated rate.   
  
The Séance hummed in thought and nodded. “I guess that seems logical.”   
  
“It’s nice that I still get to talk to you like this, though. It’s less scary.” The Kraken didn’t like to admit to fear, but after that dramatic declaration of love, the gates were flooding with truths that he had to expel.   
  
“Heh. I just realized I’m basically Ben now!” Klaus let out a sharp giggle.   
  
“Is he still here?”  
  
“Nope. Something tells me I need to have a functioning body to act as a conduit. Right now it’s just me, you, and me,” he answered, pointing at each individual. “Oh shit. Does that make Ben our third wheel?”   
  
Diego rolled his eyes, secretly glad that his other brother hadn’t bore witness to his feelings of affection. “Let’s not go there right now.”   
  
“Yeah, good idea,” Klaus agreed.   
  
  
A short stretch of silence followed the pair as they sat and let their minds wander over the predicament they had landed themselves in.   
  
“I really am sorry about Laurie. I know you liked her. I should have stayed with you when you were hurting. I just forget that people deal with grief differently that what I do,” Diego admitted, feeling that bubble of guilt resurfacing. If he were in Klaus’ shoes he would have wanted nothing more than the killer tracked down and punished. But the Séance just wanted to mourn.  
  
“That was kind of a jerk move on your behalf,” Klaus muttered, pulling his ethereal legs up to his chest. “I really did need you. I still do.”   
  
“Yeah. I’m just an idiot sometimes. And I’m also sorry for pushing you so hard,” he added. Everything about today had given him an entirely new perspective, along with a much better set of priorities. “I promise you that I’ll never pressure you into using your powers ever again.”   
  
Klaus looked at him with nothing but relief. “You really mean that?”   
  
Diego nodded. “I do.”   
  
“But what about Dad?”   
  
“Screw Dad.”  
  
“But won’t we get kicked out of college?” he said.   
  
“He at least paid for the semester, if not the year. And so what if he cuts our funds? We’ll get a loan, or I’ll get a job on the side to support us. Most students do both.”  
  
“Maybe I can knit scarves and sell them.”  
  
“Your scarves might be a little…” Diego tried to think of the right word that wouldn’t offend his brother too much. “Quirky.”  
  
“Hey! People like quirky!” Klaus let out a huff and crossed his arms in an indignant fashion. “I’ll just have to practice…”  
  
“Either way, we’ll do whatever it takes to stay away from him and that place.”  
  
Klaus smiled, genuinely, and relaxed his posture on the seat. Diego was still trying to wrap his head around him even being there, let alone managing to not phase through a chair or something.   
  
“Well, I have to admit, I am quite fond of the college life. It suits me well. The routine. The chance to express myself in a way that people actually like. Oh, and the parties of course. Can you imagine if I actually got an art degree? Like a legitimate piece of paper that is in essence, pretty worthless, but actually proves I’m capable of _something_?” Klaus seemed rather excited over that aspect. “I can totally see my future as some broke bohemian artist that lives in some shitty studio apartment painting stuff that the public deems to avant-garde to actually sell.”  
  
“And I’ll be your detective boyfriend with a legitimate job that can actually afford to pay all the bills,” Diego added, rather liking this little dream.   
  
“Oh! Can I be a trophy husband?”  
  
“Rather high opinion of yourself there, bud.”   
  
“Hey! I’m perfectly sexy!” Klaus’ mock offense was hilariously overplayed with a gasp. Though it was quickly followed up by a sly smile. “Though I didn’t hear any complaints about the husband part.”   
  
“Klaus we’re legally brothers, we can’t get married.”  
  
“Not with that attitude! Have you been to Vegas? You can marry a cardboard cut-out of Johnny Depp there if you really want to. I should know, I was at that wedding.”  
  
“When did you go to Vegas?” Diego frowned. _And how come I wasn’t invited?_ He really wanted to add. Klaus told him about the time he pawned off one of their father’s expensive trinkets and basically hopped on a plane to Vegas for a long weekend, simply because he _could_. It was a crazy story that even though sounded embellished, probably wasn’t. Klaus was a wild soul through and through, like an untameable hurricane of rainbows and glitter.   
  
The Séance talked Diego’s ear off for a good two hours longer before the Kraken began to feel the weight of the day’s exhaustion starting to mount. A yawn threatened to escape, and he did all he could to suppress it, but Klaus noticed regardless.   
  
“Diego if you’re sleepy, you know you can just tell me, right?” he said, cutting short his current story about the time he played a high stakes poker game in a casino and used Ben to cheat. It was actually quite a riveting tale.  
  
“What about you?” Diego questioned.   
  
“I’m basically a glorified projection of my own consciousness, I don’t need to sleep,” Klaus replied, using way too many big words for Diego’s tired brain.  
  
“No, I mean, who’s going to keep you company?”   
  
“I can talk to myself, not like I haven’t done that plenty of times before.” Klaus looked back over at his body that remained just like a statue. It seemed to bother him a little looking at himself. Diego imagined it must be strange to have such a lucid out of body experience like this, to have a physical form that was entirely incorporeal and had virtually no bodily functions, but still existed in reality. Thinking about that too hard just made Diego yawn again.   
  
“You should get some sleep, Di. Maybe go home? I’m not going anywhere.”  
  
“I’m not leaving. Period.” Diego crossed his arms and sunk deeper into his seat to further prove his point. He’d rather risk back pain than leave his brother here alone.   
  
“Have it your way.” Klaus shrugged, clearly not about to argue with the Kraken’s stubbornness. With that taken care of, Diego closed his eyes and let out a calming breath. Except sleep seemed to be currently out of his grasp, which only caused his mind to wander again.  
  
“Hey Klaus.”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“This has been really bugging me, but like, how are you sitting on that chair?” He peeked out between a half-lidded eye towards where Klaus was.  
  
“I don’t think I actually am. See?” The Séance wafted his hand through the arm of the seat, like he was made of nothing but air. “I think I’m just floating in a seated position because it feels sorta… natural? I think it’s the same reason I can walk without going through the floor. Ben is the same. He always appears like he’s alive.”   
  
“I see.” Diego nodded, glad that that mystery was finally solved in his head.   
  
“Now will you please go to sleep?”   
  
“Yeah, yeah.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yupp. I may have forgot about this. My bad.


	15. Chapter 15

Over the next few days, Diego learnt a couple of new things. For one, Klaus’ ability to astral project was something he couldn’t control all that well. That came to light when one of the doctors came to check on his vitals – something that happened every hour like clockwork. The poor man had almost passed out upon seeing spirit Klaus, who had simply waved at him with a smile. Diego had to explain the situation about who they were, and the man changed his tune immediately, having recalled the comic books his son had collected a couple of years back. He ended up being quite a friendly guy, one that Diego appreciated looking after his brother.   
  
The second thing was that the Séance’s power was limited by distance. The further he was from his own body, the more he faded. Because of it, Klaus was confined to the room. They both figured it was for the best as he shouldn’t be walking about giving more people heart failure.   
  
Thing number three was Patch was an absolute Godsend. She had been the one doing all the running around, making sure that Diego had food, clean clothes, and general supplies to keep he and his brother occupied while they waited out his recovery.   
  
And lastly, Dean Ramirez proved, yet again, to be a decent human being. Not only did he seem to have a personal sympathy towards Klaus’ situation (wanting daily updates to check how he was), but he had made arrangements to ensure that Diego didn’t fall behind on his studies and was exempt from have to turn up to his classes. He was also handling the situation with Laurie to the best of his capabilities and was in the process of fighting the police for an investigation. According to him, they were reluctant to believe that what had happened had been a murder as there was little evidence to prove it. Especially since Laurie’s parents had received a phone call from Laurie herself saying that she was dropping out of college to pursue her interest in travelling. And there was a credit card trail to back that up. Diego had to admit, the killer really had stepped up his game. But none of that was his concern right now.   
  
“The snakes like you, Diego,” Klaus laughed. Diego muttered a curse under his breath as he moved down the little blue piece of plastic that represented himself. _Back to square one it seems._   
  
“Why is it when I roll for myself I always end up screwing myself over, but when I roll for you, it’s perfect numbers? You don’t have some weird ghost ability to move objects with your mind, do you?”  
  
Klaus held up his hands in complete and total innocence. “I swear I don’t have the ability to move objects. If I could, I would be haunting the shit outta this place.”   
  
His eyes narrowed; Diego remained suspicious as he threw the dice once more. As expected, it landed on a natural six, which just so happened to be the exact number of squares away from the next ladder. Klaus let out a noise of glee and watched with a smug expression as Diego begrudgingly moved the pink piece further up the board. Bastard was close to winning. _Again._ _  
_ _  
_Klaus had a strange luck when it came to board games, even if he wasn’t the one technically playing. He’d blitzed Diego at monopoly four times. Being the hoarder he was, he’d bought every property he landed on and amassed an empire that the poor Kraken had fallen victim to repeatedly. They’d played a bit of poker, which was a little awkward as it involved Diego having to hold up Klaus’ cards for him to read. Again, the Séance was far better than anticipated at bluffing. Though admittedly, Diego had been quite impressed by his brother’s fifteen-to-three win-streak when it came to chess. He tended to forget that behind all that crazy there was actually a pretty sharp brain. Not that Diego was really much of a tactical thinker. That was far more up Five’s alley. He was always the genius.  
  
There was a knock at the door, and Diego peered over his shoulder to see Patch entering with a fond smile on her face, and a carrier bag in one arm and a large bouquet of flowers in the other.   
  
“Hey guys, what are you playing?” she asked.   
  
“Snakes and ladders,” Klaus answered, only just glancing up. His otherworldly hazel eyes sparkled as he noticed the array of plants. “Oh! Are those for me?”   
  
“Of course. Just like these sandwiches are for Diego.” She dropped the plastic bag onto Diego’s lap, and he examined the contents, glad to have an excuse to stop playing this dumb game that he was certain he was going to lose.  
  
Patch made her way towards the empty vase that was situated on a nearby cabinet and meticulously arranged the bunch inside. Once she was done, Klaus sprang to his feet to inspect the new décor with delight.   
  
“They’re nothing special, but I thought they’d brighten up the room a little,” she said.   
  
“They’re perfect. You know, this is honestly the nicest situation anyone has ever bought me flowers,” Klaus exclaimed, pouting a little when he realized that he couldn’t actually smell them.   
  
“The bar that low, huh?” Diego remarked, taking a bite of his store-bought BLT.   
  
“Usually when people buy me flowers they expect me to put out. So it’s less about being a gift as it is a bribe to _persuade_ me to strip,” he explained. Something hit him then, and he turned pointedly towards Patch. “Wait. You’re not expecting me to sleep with you, right?” I mean, I don’t either version of me is really up for the task–”  
  
“Klaus.”  
  
“–Though I suppose I could maybe do some erotic roleplay down a phone or something, but I’m not sure–”  
  
Patch clicked her fingers in front of Klaus’ face, to snap him from his rambling. “Don’t worry, I don’t want to sleep with you.”  
  
“Never thought I’d say this in this context, but oh thank God.” He let out a relieved sigh and then smiled at her, much softer. “Thank you for the flowers.”   
  
“You’re welcome.”   
  
“And thanks for the sandwiches,” Diego added on the end.   
  
“You’re welcome, too.”   
  
“On other notes, how is mine and Diego’s fur-baby?” Klaus asked. Diego had noticed something else recently as well. The way that Klaus had started to refer to Number Twenty-Four as _their_ child instead of his own. It was small things like this that really started to make their newly exposed interest in one another all the more real.   
  
“Herr Fuzzy Socks’ is fine. Though I think he’s missing you both. I keep finding him bundled up in one of your scarves, Klaus.”   
  
“Awwwh. I miss him, too.” Klaus’ eyebrows upturned as he sat himself back down on the floor. For a moment he looked desolate, staring down at his hands like he was frustrated that he was just an empty entity incapable of touching anything. But then a flicker of hope glinted, and his lips twitched into a more positive position. “Hey, Diego tell her the good news!”   
  
“What good news?” Patch joined them on the ground and smirked at Diego when she noticed the knife marks on the board. While they were distracted with the flowers, the Kraken had decided to stab all the blasted snakes.   
  
“The good news is that Klaus’ condition is starting to show signs of improvement,” he then answered. Although they weren’t to the point of celebrating yet, knowing that Klaus’ physical form was putting up a fight was a really positive sign.   
  
“Oh, that’s great.” Patch smiled.   
  
  
Patch stayed for a few hours as the trio decided to play charades. Klaus’ doctor came in a couple of times to check up on him, and as per usual, told Klaus to keep up the good work of getting better. Being able to have an actual conversation with one of your comatose patients must have been quite beneficial and probably strangely comforting, though probably a bit eerie, too.   
  
“You know, the longer I spend like this, the more I miss everything,” Klaus muttered. It was getting late now, and the moon was shining in through the blinds on the window. The fluorescents had been dimmed to help maintain a biorhythm, but they were still bright enough to keep Klaus calm. Even in his ghost form, he was still afraid of the dark.   
  
“You mean like eating and sleeping?” Diego said. He was starting to get tired again, already he was having to prop up his chin in the palm of his hand to keep his head upright.   
  
“I mean like everything. It’s weird. I don’t feel hungry or tired, but I remember what it’s like to feel those things. It’s like I want to crave something. But I just can’t.” Klaus let out a groan and slouched back onto his outstretched arms. “Man, I even miss the feeling of needing to pee.”  
  
“I’m surprised you didn’t mention jerking off.” Diego grinned.   
  
“Don’t even talk about that.” The Séance groaned even louder and flopped onto his back in a starfish pose. “I can’t feel any part of my body right now, let alone my dick.”   
  
Their conversation came to a halt at the sound of the door being quietly opened. Diego craned his neck to see that it was Klaus’ doctor, who was about twenty minutes too early, peeking round the crack in the door.   
  
“I was on my way past doing my rounds and thought I’d drop off the message. Diego, your father Sir Hargreeves is on the phone at reception and wishes to speak to you,” he said, right before closing the gap again.   
  
“Oh. Great.” Diego grumbled. That was all he needed right now. Luther must have let slip about what happened to Klaus even though he specifically told him not to tell Dad. He knew he shouldn’t have trusted that big oaf. Diego wiped his hands down his face to try and rid him of the lethargy and pulled himself to his feet.   
  
“You know you don’t have to answer, right?” Klaus said, sitting upright again.   
  
“I think I should at least hear what he has to say.” He imagined it would be some kind of lecture on Klaus’ bad habits and how he, as second in command, should have been keeping a better eye on his subordinate. Because like hell would it be because he actually gave a shit about Klaus’ health. “I’ll be right back, okay?”   
  
“I’ll be here, as always.”   
  
Diego left the room and made his way down the brightly lit corridor that he was getting rather used to traversing. He’d become quite the hermit as of late, only really leaving the confines of the four walls to take a breath of fresh air or to use the coffee vending machine down the hall. Mostly, he just stayed with Klaus, as the room itself had its own small bathroom that contained a toilet and a shower.   
  
He was halfway down the staircase when he was hit again with Klaus’ words. Pausing mid-step he came to the realization that his brother was actually right. He _didn’t_ need to answer. The reigns were off now, he’d done what all twenty-one-year-olds tended to do. He’d left home. Become somewhat independent. It was about time he learnt not to heed to his father’s beck and call and lived his own life the way he wanted, free from the Academy’s bullshit and with Klaus by his side.   
  
Feeling a strange weight off his chest, Diego turned on his heels and headed back up the stairs. The small bout of elation didn’t last long however, as it was soon replaced by a churning in his gut. One that he recognised after years of being in bad situations. He picked up the pace down the buzzing corridor and turned the corner, just to almost run through a panic-stricken Klaus.  
  
“Diego!”   
  
“What’s going on?”  
  
“There’s someone–” Klaus’ words cut off briefly as his ethereal presence flickered like a paused VHS tape. His power must have been weakening. “There’s someone trying to kill me!”   
  
Diego’s eyes widened and he took off bolting down the rest of the hallway. He reached the room in record speed and slammed open the door. A shadow of a figured jumped to attention hovering over Klaus’ bed. In his hand was a syringe, the tip of which was squeezing some kind of liquid into the IV line that was connected to his brother’s hand.   
_  
The porcelain mask. The killer_. Diego pulled one of his knives and tossed it. It made a perfect arc towards the assailant and sliced at his fingers, knocking the needle out from his grasp. Then Diego launched himself at him, knocking them both to the ground. Punches were thrown as they scuffled across the floor, both trying to gain advantage. It appeared that the killer was well trained in combat, that was much was for certain, as he was easily holding his own. They broke loose for a moment and Diego returned to his feet with a smooth kick up. He was faster than the killer, and already had a knife prepared for the exact moment he was waiting for. The masked man was halfway to joining him when Diego flung the sharp weapon and pinned the cloth at the attacker’s upper arm against the wall. He was about to throw another knife when Klaus’ brittle voice caught his attention.   
  
“Di…ego…” he muttered. The Kraken spun around to see the spirit version of his brother on his knees, as if he were winded. He was fading, too, blinking in and out of existence. With what little strength he seemed to have, he pointed at the IV. Diego must have been too late at knocking away the syringe.   
  
“Shit,” he cursed.   
  
“Diego! W-Watch out!” The Kraken didn’t have chance to react as the knife he had thrown before was buried in his thigh. He dropped to a knee in pain, only to have his breath stolen from him when a sturdy piece of wire was coiled around his neck. Unable to breathe, he was yanked backwards, while his fingers grasped futilely at the device choking him. It was biting into his skin, drawing warm rivulets of blood. But that wasn’t the problem. Diego didn’t need a regular intake of oxygen. The man could strangle him for hours and he’d still be here fighting. The problem was that he couldn’t escape it. All he could do was watch as Klaus’ spirit continued to flicker and fade.   
  
He was going to die here and there was nothing he could do about it. Diego tried again to free himself, giving up on the wire and instead grasping hold of the man’s wrists.   
  
It was then the room started to quake. Diego noticed the vase fly first. It whipped across the room and shattered against the wall. The chairs followed suit. Then the wire came loose, and Diego only just managed to turn his head to see the killer being thrown five feet into the air like an invisible hurricane had slammed into him. _What the hell…!?_ He barely had chance to process what had happened when his priorities kicked back in and he scrambled to his feet. His eyes snapped back to the bed, to see Klaus sitting up, awake, with a fierceness in his green-brown irises. He rushed over and watched as his brother shakily grabbed hold of the IV line and yanked it out.   
  
“H-How the hell did you do that?” Diego said, still a little breathless. Klaus frowned at him and sarcastically motioned towards the tube that was very much still down his throat. “R-Right.” His attention then shot up and Diego followed it to see the killer launch himself out the open window. He rushed over to stop him, but it was too late. With an angry growl, he slammed the frame with a fist as the man parkoured down the side of the building with astonishing ease.   
  
It was then, that they were interrupted.   
  
“What the hell is going on in here?” Klaus’ doctor was standing in the doorway with wide eyes. They really did have a lot of explaining to do.   
  
  
Diego got his leg looked at while Klaus was being seen to by a bunch of other doctors. The wound had missed any vital arteries but needed a set of stitches, and the thin line incision on his neck only needed cleaning. It bled more than it was deep.   
  
Klaus’ main doctor was waiting outside his room when he returned (they’d had to move him because of the mess). Diego had explained a little what had happened, said it was an Academy thing that they would soon sort out, and that they needn’t cause too much of a fuss.   
  
“How is my brother?” he questioned.   
  
“It’s almost a miracle. He’s made quite the recovery. There seems to be no damage to his brain and his system seems to be almost fully functioning. We want to keep him in for observation as he’s still on the weak side after being on a ventilator for a few days. And we err…” The doctor broke off and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “We do need to ensure that he’s mentally stable enough to leave, and by that I mean he’s been scheduled for a psych eval.”   
  
“Klaus is gonna _love_ that,” Diego muttered. Probably best not to tell him.   
  
“Yeah, I’m sorry. After speaking with him myself I know he needs some form of psychological help, but not the kind that I think the hospital will provide.”   
  
“Can I see him now?” he asked. The doctor nodded and stepped away from the door to allow him access. Diego thanked the kind man once more before heading inside.  
  
Klaus was propped up in bed against a couple of pillows and was scratching absently at his cast. The tube from his throat had been replaced with a far less intrusive nasal cannula, and it seemed the IV he was hooked up to had been replaced with another, less tampered with batch.   
  
Diego’s leg stung a little as he walked towards the chair and perched himself down on its wooden surface. Klaus noticed his presence and turned towards him, supporting his signature smile. It really was good to see him awake.   
  
“How are you feeling, Bro?” Diego asked.  
  
“L-Like a piece of gum that’s been trodden on a thousand times,” Klaus answered, his voice hoarse. Speaking seemed to cause irritation to his throat, judging by the way his hand shot up to massage it. Diego spied the glass of water left out and promptly passed it to him. Klaus’ grip was a little shaky for his liking, so he wrapped his own fingers around it, too, to hold the item steady as he took a long sip. “Swallowing hurts so bad.”   
  
“Not surprising. That’s what happens when you have a tube removed.” Diego hadn’t experience intubation before, but he imagined it was a lot more unpleasant than it looked. He took the glass when his brother was done and replaced it back on the side.   
  
“That wasn’t even the worse one,” Klaus added. “I can tell you now, the other one was far more uncomfortable to have taken out while conscious… especially when the doctor doing it wasn’t even hot.”   
  
“Well, on the plus side, at least you can feel your dick again,” Diego said, unable to help himself. That earnt him a smack. One with a shocking amount of force behind it. “Ouch.” He rubbed the sore spot on his upper arm while Klaus looked entirely pleased with himself. Not that the smugness lasted. It was replaced a few seconds later by a short but painful sounding coughing fit.   
  
“It really does hurt,” the Séance then repeated.  
  
“Then maybe you shouldn’t talk so much?” Diego suggested.   
  
Klaus shook his head, stubborn. “Naaah. I’d miss my voice too much. Though I will have to draw the line at giving any blow jobs. Sorry, Di.” He winked at him in a way that made Diego’s heart stutter in his chest.   
  
“You’re unbelievable.”   
  
“I know.” Klaus sank further into the pillows, his eyebrows now furrowed to show a more serious expression. “So… I guess we found the killer, huh?”   
  
“Seems that way.” Diego nodded. Another thought crossed his mind about what Klaus had said a few days go. “Were you being serious when you said you didn’t remember getting high?”   
  
“Yeah, I was.”  
  
“It’s just a thought… but do you think maybe this wasn’t the first attempt he’s made on your life?” The fact that the killer knew they were here couldn’t have been a coincidence. Maybe him turning up here was a desperate attempt to finish the job he’d already started. Which unfortunately meant that there was still a target on the Séance’s head. One that Diego couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for putting there.   
  
“You mean…?” Klaus took a moment to catch up. But when he did, it was made obvious by the scowl he’d displayed. “That bastard.”   
  
“Something struck me as odd when I was told you took three times the safe dosage and I know I fucked things up, but you’re not suicidal.”  
  
“Of course not. I’m _terrified_ of dying. I’m one of the few people that actually knows there is an afterlife and it fucking sucks.”   
  
“Exactly.” Diego agreed, promptly remembering something else. “Though you sure changed your tone from before, _Mr._ _Death Is the Ultimate High_.”   
  
“I was upset and being dramatic, Diego. Now it just so happens I have something totally worth living for.”   
  
The Kraken snorted, “That’s corny.”   
  
“Who the hell says I was referring to you, hot-head?” Klaus snapped back, shooting him a look. “It just so happens that my favourite clothing store has a sale on in two weeks and if I recall correctly, I have someone willing to be my packhorse.”   
  
“So me becoming your boyfriend has nothing to do with your swift change of heart?”  
  
It was Klaus’ turn to blush. “No, not at all.”   
  
“Guess you don’t want me to hold your hand then?” Diego offered it out regardless, not even trying to hide the slight smirk that played at his lips. It was strange for him to initiate affection like this, but after everything that had happened, he honestly just wanted to take advantage of the peaceful moment they now had.   
  
“So, you really meant it then? When you said you loved me?” Klaus said, clearly needing the reassurance.   
  
“You’re my target, Klaus, and you know I never miss my target,” he replied. _“_ OK, that definitely sounded way better in my head.”  
  
The Séance let out a quiet chuckle and slipped his pale fingers in between his brother’s tan ones. “That was both really dumb and really sweet.”   
  
“Yeah, I’m not the best with words,” Diego said. But of course, Klaus knew that already. Because they knew everything there was to know about each other. All their vices. Their quirks. Their silly little habits. Everything. Which was exactly why Diego was so sure in himself now that he had made the right call. To finally admit to himself what his heart had known all along.   
  
A few blissful moments of tranquillity passed between them, of which the Kraken spent gently caressing Klaus’ knuckles, careful to not catch the needle embedded close by. The Séance spent the time strangely quiet, and it wasn’t until Diego next called his name that he realized that his brother had fallen asleep.   
  
“G’night, Klaus,” he said. Although he was tired himself, he opted to watch over his sibling for a little while, just to be safe. Klaus wasn’t still like before, and Diego couldn’t help but smile fondly when he noticed his brother’s nose twitching. Nor could he help feeling almost glad when he heard the familiar sound of incomprehensible gibberish that the Séance would often mumble. He really was okay now. Maybe not the best. But okay.   
  



	16. Chapter 16

“Ben!” Klaus’ loud voice snapped Diego awake. He was now sat bolt upright in bed, clutching at his hand that he’d fallen asleep holding.   
  
“What about him?” Diego uttered, suddenly alert.   
  
“Oh shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Klaus shrunk back in on himself with a sheepish smile.   
  
“Maybe try lowering your volume then next time?” he suggested, a tad amused. _As if that were actually possible._   
  
“Right.”  
  
Relieved that this wasn’t another emergency, Diego sunk back into his chair and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “What’s the matter?” he then questioned.   
  
“I had a thought. Ben was with me that night. He might have seen something that I didn’t. Or at least remember a lot more than what I do.”   
  
“I’m assuming he’s still not around?”  
  
Klaus shook his head. “It’s strange. He’s the only ghost that tends to bypass my drug issue, but I dunno… he still isn’t back. Maybe I have to like, reset.”  
  
“You mean like get clean again?” It would sort of make sense at least. Klaus ghost seeing powers must have been at their all time weakest due to how close he was to dying. Even right now, it was obvious that his brother wasn’t seeing any ghosts. They were in a hospital, there was definitely no shortage of them.   
  
“It’s the only thing I can think of to get him back,” Klaus sighed, reaching for the IV line.   
  
“Whoa, whoa, slow down there, buddy.” Diego grabbed his wrist to stop him from making any rash decisions. “What are you doing?”  
  
“Taking this out so we can get outta here,” Klaus replied. “I thought that was obvious?”  
  
“Klaus, you’re in no state to be going anywhere.” His brother was about two shades away from paper white and was still struggling to talk and breathe properly.   
  
“Diego, please. If that overdose didn’t kill me and whatever that asshole injected into my IV didn’t either, I highly doubt leaving the hospital early will.”   
  
“You’re really pushing your luck, don’t you think?” Diego said.  
  
“Well, apparently I’m a cat with nine lives.”  
  
“Oh yeah? And which one are you on now?”  
  
The Séance thought about it for a second before shrugging. “Lost count.”   
  
Diego rolled his eyes. “Give me one good reason as to why I should let you do something reckless?”  
  
“Because, Di, someone is trying to kill me and you know the saying, third time’s the charm. I don’t really fancy waiting around here for him to come back and try to smother me in my sleep or something. We need to talk to Ben, and I can’t get sober here, nor do I want to. This place will be crawling with dead people and I’ll be wanting something much stronger than this methadone.”   
  
“I suppose you make a valid point,” Diego admitted. They were sitting ducks here, with a killer that not only had brains, but was seemingly determined to kill Klaus. It wasn’t surprisingly, as his brother was the only one in the world who could commune with all the man’s victims. To him, he must have thought it was only a matter of time before Klaus found out some irrefutable evidence that would result in an end to his spree. “Though I’m still not convinced you should be putting yourself through something that taxing so soon.”   
  
“So, what? You want me to wait around till I’m in tip top shape and am given a psych eval?”  
  
“You know about that?”  
  
“This ain’t my first rodeo, Di,” Klaus said. “We both know I’m either getting sent to a psychiatric facility or rehab… _again._ ”  
  
“Yeah, that wouldn’t be ideal…” They were both places where Diego couldn’t protect him.   
  
“If I’m going to end up in rehab, I want to be the one who put me there – not when some pile of dicks shot me full of heroin against my will,” Klaus huffed, annoyed. It was a pretty understandable thing to sulk about, especially since he had actually been actively trying to fight his addiction. “Plus, I really need for this to be over. He killed Laurie and… and I really don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire as well.”   
  
Diego raised an eyebrow. “You’re worried about me?”  
  
“Don’t sound so shocked. You’re just as prone to dangerous behaviour as I am. Just a different kind. I know what you’re like, Diego. That need to a be a hero. I can’t have you jumping in front of a bullet for me or something.”   
  
Diego wanted to argue that he wouldn’t do something so dangerous, but he knew his own instincts. His need to protect Klaus greatly outweighed any self-preservation he had. He knew he’d dive in a heartbeat if it came to it.   
  
“All right, you’ve shockingly made some good points. But if we’re going to do this you better be up for it.” Diego pointed a finger at him to emphasize his words.   
  
“That’s a very aggressive way of saying you’re worried about me, too.”   
  
“You know me, baby. I don’t do pansy-ass shit.”   
  
“One: Not gonna lie, that ‘baby’ turned me on… _a lot_. And two–” Klaus leant in towards him, eyes shining provocatively. His fragile breath tickled Diego’s ear as he continued in a voice just barely above a whisper, “–we both know behind all those pointy knives you are as soft inside as Princess Glitter Bomb.”  
  
“Don’t compare me to your weird unicorn, baby,” Diego said, grinning when his brother let out an endearing giggle. He took the opportunity to place another small kiss on his cheek. As much as a part of him sought to kiss some place more intimate, for now, he figured it best to play it safe and get used to the new territory. “I’ll go call up Patch to see if she can get some things sorted, so don’t go taking anything out until we’re ready to leave, okay?”   
  
“Got it.”   
  
  
Patch arrived about an hour and half later with a rental car, a couple of bags of groceries, a burner phone, and some clothes for Klaus. All stuff they would need to go into temporary hiding.   
  
“So I see Patch only went through my loungewear section,” Klaus grumbled, checking through the duffel bag that was chock full of his clothes.  
  
Diego, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, raised his scarred eyebrow. “What’s the problem with that?”  
  
“I’ve been stuck in this horrid gown for four days. I want to look _good,_ and loungewear just isn’t all that sexy.”  
  
“Klaus, just pick something out, will you?”  
  
“ _Fine._ ” With a childish pout he pulled out a couple of items and systematically began to detach himself from all the wires and tubes. He then went to get up. His knees gave out almost immediately and he stumbled straight into Diego’s awaiting arms.   
  
“Saw that coming,” the Kraken said, having moved like lightning. “You okay?”   
  
“Just a little dizzy. Also, my legs feel like mush.”   
  
“Well you haven’t used them in a couple days,” Diego pointed out. Klaus clung to him as he tried to steady himself, something that he eventually managed with a whole bunch of quiet cursing. “Do you need any help getting dressed?”   
  
“I’m not an invalid, Diego,” the Séance snapped. His frustration was fleeting, as he took a shaky breath and raked his fingers through his tousled curls in an attempt to calm himself. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just a bit stressed.”   
  
“Don’t worry about it.” Diego smiled at him, understanding that Klaus needed to regain a bit of his own independence again. “How about you go get dressed in the bathroom and if you need me, call out?”  
  
“All right. But no peeking. Unless you want to.” The cheeriness was back in his voice as he shot Diego a wink. He disappeared into the small bathroom, and the Kraken waited outside. Diego wasn’t actually tempted to peek, but he did so anyway, simply as he imagined that Klaus would be offended if he _didn’t._ For his effort, he got a nice view of Klaus’ trim ass cheeks that he etched to his internal databank and was giddily called a ‘pervert’.   
  
The Séance took his time getting dressed, and for once, Diego didn’t seek to rush him. Partly because the act itself must have been quite difficult for someone who struggled to even stand up straight, and partly because he was aware of how much Klaus valued his appearance. And right now, he knew that he needed a confidence boost when it came to it. Which was exactly why he said what he said when Klaus presented himself forty minutes later, wearing some leggings with sequins running up the length and an oversized sweater with lots of decorative holes in.   
  
“For the record, I think you look cute.”   
  
Klaus beamed at that. “I’ll take cute.”  
  
  
The Séance was a little unsteady on his feet as the pair headed towards the entranceway. Diego gave him space to walk himself but remained vigilant in case he faltered. As expected, they were stopped at reception, where Klaus proceeded to willingly check himself out, despite the protests he received from a nearby doctor.   
  
They then met with Patch outside. It was cold out in the early evening, and it caused Klaus to shiver and curl his arms around himself. Diego reacted instinctively, taking off his coat and wrapping it around his brother’s shoulders.   
  
“It’s nice to see you not holographic looking,” Patch said, upon greeting.   
  
“Thanks.” Klaus smiled at her, though it quickly faltered. “Also, I’m sorry about your flowers. They kinda got destroyed. Which sucks…”  
  
“That’s all right. I’ll buy you a new bunch when you get back from hiding. As a super late housewarming gift,” she replied, managing to coax the smile back.   
  
“Right. You get in the car before you freeze to death,” Diego ordered. Patch tossed him the keys to the vehicle, and he opened out the passenger side for Klaus to get in. But before he followed, he turned towards the lady herself. He had a loose end to tie up.   
  
“Hey… err… about that dinner…” he began, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m afraid that I have decline. It turns out I kinda have the hots for someone else. I apologize if I lead you on or something. I mean your hot, too. But yeah… I really like this other person.”   
  
Diego was uncomfortable enough with feelings during the best of times, so it was not surprising that trying to turn someone down gently was difficult. Especially since he couldn’t admit out loud who’d been the one he’d fallen for instead of her. After all, what he had with Klaus was at least somewhat pseudo incestuous, something that was deeply stigmatized. Maybe Patch would understand, but that was a conversation for another day. Still, in another life he’d imagined he’d have done well with Eudora. But as it stood, Klaus Hargreeves was the one that was always on his mind. The one he couldn’t live without.   
  
“I see.” Patch’s gaze fell downward, and she nodded, understanding. But the Kraken didn’t miss the way her hand shot towards the rabbit’s foot hanging from her pocket. The rejection clearly stung, which only made him feel guilty.   
  
“I’m sorry,” he said.   
  
She looked back up at him and put up a resilient smile. “It’s OK. It happens. We’re both adults here and we both understand that feelings aren’t always mutual. Still, I wish you luck with whoever this mysterious person is. And if it’s all right with you, I’d still like that dinner – as friends of course. Call it my payment for doing all this running around after you.”  
  
“It’s a deal.” Diego was glad to still have her on his side.   
  
“Right, now get going. And tell Klaus not to worry about Number Twenty-Four. I’ll continue to take good care of him.”   
  
After a warm hug goodbye, Diego slipped into the driver seat and adjusted the rear-view mirror to see all the bags in the backseat. More than enough to survive on. Patch really was an absolute star.   
  
“Soooo what was all that about?” Klaus crooned. Like usual, he was being nosy.   
  
“None of your business,” Diego replied. Having noticed that his sibling was still trembling, he switched on the engine and turned the heating to full blast. Then, he shifted the gear into reverse, ready to get the fuck out of this parking lot. “Put your seatbelt on.”  
  
Klaus did as he was told, then continued with his prying. “Should I be jealous?”   
  
The Kraken knitted his eyebrows. “Of what?”   
  
“You and Patch?” Klaus replied, not all that seriously.   
  
“That depends.”  
  
“Depends on what?”  
  
“On how monogamous you’re currently feeling,” Diego said, playing along with the charade.   
  
Klaus hummed and tapped his chin in thought. “I’d say I’m feeling pretty monogamous. Roughly around ninety-eight percent.”  
  
“Only ninety-eight?” The Kraken feigned mild offense.   
  
“I’m sorry, but if Hugh Jackman comes a knocking, I’m not turning him down.”   
  
“I’ll let you off with that one,” Diego said. “I imagine getting fucked by Wolverine would be pretty epic.”   
  
“Totally.” Klaus laughed until he started coughing – which didn’t take very long. The fit was harsh and full-body wracking, causing Diego to wince and tighten his grip on the steering wheel in worry. It went on for a few seconds, long enough for the Kraken to notice his heart was pounding, and long enough to leave the Séance fighting to catch his breath. The effort to get his body working again seemed to exert Klaus, as afterwards, he slunk against the window and closed his eyes.   
  
“Talk to me, baby. You okay?” Diego asked, fighting hard to keep his attention on the road.   
  
“M’fine,” Klaus mumbled in response. “Though if it’s okay with you… I think I’ll take a nap.”  
  
“Go for it.”  
  
  
It was a substantial drive to get to the destination that Diego had a mind. Someplace far enough away and hidden; a location that the college killer wouldn’t be able to find so easy. Klaus slept through the entire journey with Diego intermittently checking up on him whenever he got the chance. He was grateful for once, that his brother had a habit of talking in his sleep as it lessened his concern greatly.   
  
By the time he pulled the car up to the sturdy house hidden away in the trees, it was gone nightfall, and Diego himself was tired. Driving for five hours straight had turned his vision blurry and the muscles in his legs stiff. He turned off the engine and sat back for a moment, massaging his thighs to wake them up. Feeling the blood flowing again, Diego got out the car and headed towards the front of the house. There, he found the old stone fountain that now collected nothing but dried up leaves. If he recalled correctly, the key was under the cherub holding the umbrella. He slipped his fingers underneath the smooth surface until they came into contact with something protruding. He pressed it, causing a small mechanism to click in place that revealed the hidden key.   
  
Brushing off the flakes of rust, he used it to unlock the front door and then headed back to the car to retrieve his brother.   
  
“We here?” Klaus muttered, half asleep. He must have woken up when the car stopped.   
  
“Yeah, we’re here,” Diego said.   
  
The Séance rubbed his eyes, which seem to do little in adding to his alertness. Diego tested the waters in helping him out the car. When he was met with no resistance he figured that Klaus was simply too exhausted to give a shit, so he took advantage and curled his arm around his brother’s slim waist to keep him steady. Klaus drowsily took in his surrounds with furrowed brows.  
  
“Hey… I think I remember this place,” he murmured, tripping over the welcome mat. Luckily, Diego had hold of him.   
  
“Oh yeah?”  
  
“This is where we did that thing with that something or other…” Klaus waved his hand about frivolously. “Wait… what were we talking about again?”   
  
“Yupp, definitely time for bed.”   
  
“Bed sounds good,” the Séance agreed, right before losing his footing again. Fed up with Klaus accidentally trying to injure himself, Diego took matters into his own hands and picked the clumsy idiot up. With one arm under his knees and the other supporting his shoulders, he lifted his brother carefully up the stairs.   
  
“Hey, you gonna carry me like this on our wedding night, too?” Klaus said, giggling. “You better not ruin my pretty white dress.”   
  
“You’re going to wear a dress?” Diego cocked an eyebrow. Although his sibling wasn’t particularly heavy, he was tall, and this staircase was both old and narrow, so trying to manoeuvre him up it was a task that required a fair amount of focus.   
  
“One of us has to be the bride and Diego, I love you, but you’d look ridiculous in a dress.”   
  
“Or you know, we could both wear suits?” he then suggested, wondering why he was actually humouring this trail of thought.   
  
“Meh, I won’t look as fabulous in a suit.”   
  
“Klaus, you look fabulous in everything,” Diego said.  
  
“Awwwh, Di, that has to be the nicest thing you have ever said to me,” Klaus trilled. They reached the top of the stairs and Diego booted the door open to the master bedroom. The place smelt a bit musty, but it would do. He gently placed his brother on the ornate four-poster bed and untied the laces on his converse to rid him of his shoes. Once he was done, he chucked them on the floor and went to leave. Not that he was allowed to, according to the hand tugging on his sleeve.   
  
Diego let out a soft sigh and turned back towards his brother. “What’s the matter?”  
  
“Stay with me, Di,” Klaus urged.   
  
“I’ll join you in a bit, I want to take a look around,” Diego replied. He also needed to unload the car. And check to see if the place was secure.   
  
“No.” Klaus shook his head childishly and tugged a lot harder. “Stay.”   
  
It became a battle of wills as Diego stared down at his brother with every intention of remaining firm on his decision. But even he couldn’t resist the big pitiful puppy hazel eyes that his brother was exploiting to get his own way. The Kraken heaved out another sigh and clambered onto the bed beside his sibling. “I really can’t deny you anything, can I?”   
  
“Yay!” Klaus cheered with glee and snuggled up to him like he was now some big teddy bear. Diego figured he could at least stay until his brother fell asleep and then he could go do all those tasks. This place was out in the middle of nowhere, the chances of them being disturbed was probably close to zero. And the groceries they had were all non-perishable. He supposed he could rest his eyes for a little while…


	17. Chapter 17

Diego woke up the next morning, bright and early, and with Klaus still using him as a pillow. _So much for getting shit done_ , he thought to himself sardonically _._ But at least he’d gotten a good night’s rest. He untangled himself from gangly limbs, (being careful not to wake his still unconscious sibling) and worked through his morning routine that involved a workout, a hot shower, and banana for breakfast.   
  
It was mid-afternoon when Klaus finally trudged down the stairs, looking like utter crap. It must have been about twenty-four hours since he last had any form of drugs circulating his system and it was beginning to show.   
  
“I have slept so much, how am I still so damn tired?” the Séance complained, joining Diego on the sofa. The Kraken was taking a break from dusting. It was job that he’d never really done before, but with Klaus having a bad throat and chest, it seemed like a smart thing to do. The last thing he needed was to start coughing over disturbed furniture.   
  
“You did almost die, Klaus,” Diego reminded him.   
  
“I’ve almost died on plenty of different occasions. I think my body is just being extra dramatic this time,” Klaus said, pulling his bare feet up onto the velvet settee. His eyebrows knitted as he took in his surroundings with a lot more clarity than last night. “Isn’t this where we came on that mission where we took down that secret lab that were injecting those weird chemicals into thugs? The ones that made them go all psycho?”   
  
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Sir Reginald had bought the entire plot of land as an extra hideout for the Academy when needed, and to ensure that no one else would use the resources for nefarious purposes that were stationed just below them.   
  
“Isn’t this the place where you first… you know… killed someone?” Klaus uttered, playing with the tassel of the nearby cushion. It seemed he was being somewhat tactful in his questioning for a change, instead of just blurting it out like it wasn’t a touchy subject.   
  
“You remember that?” Diego wasn’t ashamed of what he’d done nor was he haunted by it. Killing in the name of self defence, or in that case, defence of another, didn’t keep him up at night. In his mind he’d done exactly what he should have done, and the world was a better place for it.   
  
“Another one of my brushes with death. Of course I remember,” Klaus replied. They were only twelve at the time. The Academy had split off to subdue the scientists and their experiments. Naturally, Number Four had been designated the ‘look out’ as he was deemed the liability of the group due to his lackluster powers in combat related situations. It was usually the safest role. And usually didn’t tend to involve any confrontation. Except on this rare occasion.   
  
Klaus never really had the attention span to do his job properly, so probably hadn’t noticed the escapee experiment that was blitzed out of his mind until he was likely in his face. Luckily, Diego had spotted the crazed guy making a run for it and had taken chase himself. By the time he’d caught up, the man had Klaus in a chokehold and was close to squeezing the life out of him. Diego had thrown his knives at non-fatal points to start with, in attempt to cause the man to drop his brother out of reflex. But with all the drugs pumping through the man’s system he didn’t appear to feel a thing. It was out of desperation to save the Séance that Diego altered his aim and threw one of his blades straight though the back of the guy’s skull.   
  
“And I remember saving your ass again,” Diego said. Killing another human being had been a bit of a shock at the time, but a bad person was still a bad person.   
  
“And once again, I thank you for it,” Klaus half laughed. He shuffled up the seat and bumped their shoulders together. “Maybe someday we can swap places and you can be the damsel in distress. Then maybe I can save _you_.”   
  
“Klaus… you already did.”   
  
“Oh? When?” The Séance looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.  
  
“Do you really not recall?” Diego waited for something to click. But Klaus continued to stare at him as though he was speaking in riddles. “When that guy broke into your hospital room and had me pinned down. You threw him and a bunch of other stuff across the room like you had telekinesis or some shit.”  
  
“I did?” Klaus looked confused, if not a little anxious. “Everything was so blurry when I came to, I thought you’d just thrown him off yourself.”  
  
“Wish I could take credit, Bro, but he had me real good.”   
  
The Séance let out a noise of disbelief and scratched furiously at his head. “I don’t know. I think I’m too old to be developing any brand-new powers. If I had something that useful stored away inside, I think dear old Dad would have found a way to torture it out of me by now.”  
  
Diego snorted, “Yeah, coz he did such a god job helping you to develop your ghost manifesting skills.”  
  
“I still think it’s a long shot,” Klaus said, being dismissive of himself, as usual. Like a tired kitten, he sprawled himself out across Diego’s lap and grinned. “Your stubble is getting a bit long, maybe you should shave.”   
  
"Why are you so adamant in thinking it’s not true?” Diego questioned, not letting his brother change the topic. For having all the audacity in the world, the Séance really did have such low self-esteem. Klaus let out a whine, clearly not wanting to further broach the subject. But Diego wasn’t about to give in. He altered his tone into something softer and to further coax his brother into honesty, began brushing his fingers through his brown curls. “Why is it so hard for you to believe in yourself?”   
  
“Because when am I ever useful? Like genuinely,” Klaus said, picking at one of the holes in his jumper. “I’ve always been the family fuck-up. The idiot that constantly screws up and makes a mess of things. I can’t think of one mission we went on as kids that I actually legitimately helped.”   
  
“So, you’re basing your value on the expectations that our asshole of a father set?” Diego’s fingers moved from dark locks to instead stroke a clammy cheek. “Klaus, you may not have been the best at kicking ass, but you are plenty good at other things that we all appreciated. Ben confided in you all the time because you were the only one that truly understood him, and he always grateful for the way you’d put in the effort to read a book he was interested in so you could talk about it together. You were basically another sister to Allison with your fashion advice, nail painting and chick-flick binges. Five thought you had a strange ingenuity with the way you’d get what you wanted in the strangest ways. Luther admired how you were so laid back and secretly wanted to be like you.”  
  
“And you…?” Klaus uttered, voice wavering.   
  
Diego smiled. “Klaus, I’ve always thought you were the most interesting person on the planet. And I mean, I fell in love with you, that’s gotta count for something, right?”   
  
“Ugh… I think I’m gonna cry.” The Séance sniffled in a dramatic fashion, which was likely to divert the attention from the fact that he’d actually gotten teary eyed.   
  
“My point is you need to give yourself some credit. You’re capable of much more than you think. You did get that big fat A in that art piece, remember? I’m still proud of you for that.”   
  
“You’re right.” Klaus sat up with a newfound determination. “Maybe I can at least give this thing a shot.”  
  
“That’s the spirit.”  
  
“But first.” He held up a finger as his face paled down a few shades. “I’m gonna need to vomit. I’ll be right back.”   
  
  
Klaus returned after about fifteen minutes of heaving with a new sheen of sweat and full body tremors. It seemed the withdrawal really had fully kicked in now. Diego held out a glass of water for his suffering sibling as he collapsed back onto the couch.   
  
“Thanks.” The Séance took a few sips to rid the taste in his mouth, before placing it on the coffee table.   
  
“You still wanna give this new power thing a try? You look pretty terrible; I’ll understand if you’d rather take a nap or something.” Although Diego was rather invested in this whole thing, he didn’t want to push it. The important thing was to boost his brother’s confidence about the matter and convince him that it was something he should pursue. With that done, it didn’t really matter when he actually made an attempt.   
  
Klaus shook his head. “I need something to do. These jitters are going to keep me up anyways.”   
  
“All right then. I know you shook an entire room beforehand, but maybe we should start small? Like maybe…” Diego scanned the coffee table for something that would do the trick. He spotted and old pencil and picked it up. “How about this?”   
  
“You want me to move the pencil?” Klaus still sounded a little unsure.   
  
“Without touching it,” Diego specified. He placed it back down where it was and watched intently as his brother put on some kind of concentrative expression.   
  
It didn’t last long however, as when nothing immediately happened, Klaus’ focus began to waver. Diego wondered how it must have worked for him. After all, Klaus wasn’t exactly used to taking an active role in how his powers operated. They tended to just happen, whether he liked it or not. Whereas levitating objects was more like what Diego could do. For him, it was like feeling the air and energy around something and altering its course like there was a bunch of invisible strings connected to it that he could manipulate.   
  
After ten more minutes of glaring with increasing intensity, Klaus finally gave up. “This is hopeless,” he sighed, flopping against Diego. “Are you sure you didn’t do it?”   
  
Diego automatically curled an arm around his shoulders. “I’m sure.”   
  
“Maybe I just attracted a poltergeist or something.”  
  
“Are those even real?”   
  
Klaus shrugged. “I mean I think they’re more like entities than dead people, which is probably why I’ve never seen one. But with my powers being as wacky as they are lately, I wouldn’t be surprised.”   
  
“I just think we need to find your trigger. Like, you have to be calm to control your ghost powers better and I always found it easier to alter trajectory when I’m the one throwing the object. How did you feel when you woke up?” Diego questioned, brushing his fingertips up and down his brother’s upper arm in a soothing manner. Physical affection always made Klaus more receptive to paying attention.   
  
“Well… I was fretting over you,” the Séance said, eyebrows adorably furrowed. “Like really passionately. Like it was the only thing I could think about. But I couldn’t move, and I just really wanted that asshole to get off you. Then I don’t know… I felt maybe like a surge of desperation? God it’s really hard to explain, I’m not even sure myself. My memory sucks the best of times.”  
  
“It’s all right. Maybe we should do something else for a bit?” Diego suggested, noting his brother’s increasing frustration. His fidgeting was getting worse and he was clenching his jaw, both signs that he was craving.   
  
“Like what? Count the cobwebs? There doesn’t seem to be shit to do here,” Klaus said.   
  
“Wait here.” Diego hopped off the couch and headed towards an object he had spotted while cleaning. It was an old phonograph record player, just like the one that Luther had in his room. If there was one thing that the Hargreeves siblings all had in common, it was their secret love for dancing. They rarely did it in front of one another, but whenever things were tense between them and Sir Reginald was far away, Luther would connect them all together by blasting his music throughout the entire mansion. Usually, it was something upbeat and fully of energy. But for right now, Diego had something else in mind. Something that he knew Klaus would either adoreor take the piss out of him for. He hoped it would be the former.   
  
Finding an appropriate record on the shelf, he slipped it onto the player and manoeuvred the needle onto the edge of its vinyl grooves. The phonograph spluttered to life and began playing an old piece of classical music with a slow tempo and an easy 1-2-3 beat.   
  
“Diego… are you about to ask me to dance?” Klaus asked, having perked up at the offer of a hand in front of him.   
  
“Suffering or not, I swear if you start laughing, I will kick your ass,” Diego warned, embarrassment already evident on his cheeks.   
  
“No, no, I’m not going to laugh. I’m just… stunned. I didn’t know you could be so… _romantic_.” Klaus took his hand and was beckoned to his feet in one swift motion.   
  
“I can be plenty romantic,” Diego argued, stubborn. To prove his point, he curled his arm around Klaus’ waist to assertively draw him closer. Now pressed together, the Kraken’s palm found its way to the small of Klaus’ back, to effectively keep him pinned. The Séance let out a giggle and intertwined their remaining fingers.  
  
“You’re not going to step on my feet are you?” he teased.   
  
“I will if you don’t shut up,” Diego replied. Klaus closed his mouth and allowed the Kraken to take the lead. All the Hargreeves children had been trained in the art of the Waltz. And Diego in particular, had always excelled in its performance. He remembered the steps as muscle memory. Left foot forward. Right foot to the right. Bring left foot to the right. And so on.   
  
One thing he didn’t remember, was it feeling this intimate. Sure, they were tucked up closer than necessary, but there was something about staring into Klaus’ hazel eyes had Diego’s heart racing. It wasn’t just that either. It was all the small things, too. Things that Diego would have usually overlooked, but now found himself drawn to. Like the way Klaus would hum along to the music. Or the way he would flourish the spins. Or the way he bit his lip when he leant back in a hold. Everything about the Séance was fascinating. And Diego was _obsessed._  
  
“This would be so much better if I were wearing a skirt,” Klaus said, a little disappointed. “Something fancy that I could hold while twirling.”  
  
“You really wanna show off your legs, huh?”   
  
“Well, they are one of my best features.” The Séance winked, stretching out one of his slender legs to emphasise his point. Diego had to concur. One of these days he’d enjoy having them wrapped around him.   
  
It was after the next pivot that Klaus’ balance suddenly faltered and he came crashing into Diego. For a moment, the Kraken thought he may have done it on purpose, to get him to catch him. But then saw that his brother’s face was scrunched up and he was clutching at his stomach. And that caused his heart to somersault in panic.   
  
“Are you all right?” he asked.   
  
“I just realized; I haven’t eaten anything in like forever,” the Séance groaned.   
  
Relief rolled through Diego like a wave and he released the breath that had gotten hitched in his throat. “How does a PB&J sound?”  
  
“Delightful.”  
  
  
Diego made his brother a sandwich, while said brother lounged across the couch counting the number of cobwebs he spotted on the ceiling. He’d gotten to seventeen by the time he was handed the plate that stole his attention. Despite clearly being ravenous, Klaus was tentative as he ate, likely to keep the nausea at bay.   
  
“You know, I think I met God?” Klaus said, between bites.   
  
“You mean in the literal sense or the ‘I got so high I hallucinated a deity’ sense?” Diego asked, tossing one his knives up and down.   
  
“The first one.”   
  
“I thought you were agnostic?”   
  
“I am.” Klaus swallowed what was in his mouth and continued. “But before I woke up in my body, I woke up in this other place. It was really weird, like some kind of surreal meadow. And I met this little girl riding a bike. She didn’t like me very much, something about me not being like the rest of the things she created. She then said she didn’t want me to stay there and sorta just kicked me out.”  
  
“God is a she?” Diego wasn’t really sure what preconceptions he actually believed in when it came to religion and a higher power, as it wasn’t something he thought about much. Though there were plenty of things in this world that couldn’t be explained, and he just so happened to be one of those unique cases. So he liked to think he was at least somewhat open minded.   
  
“And ethnic,” Klaus added.   
  
“Fair enough.” Diego shrugged, dismissive. It wasn’t much of a spiritual epiphany, but hey if God _did_ exist then that was cool, he supposed.   
  
When Klaus was finished with his sandwich, Diego took the plate and headed back into the kitchen to dump on a counter to maybe be washed in two-to-three business days. It was then he noticed something that sent a chill down his spine. “Err… Klaus?”   
  
The Séance peered over the back of the couch and looked towards where he was pointing with a look of confusion. “Wait… you see him, too?”   
  
Right in the middle of the kitchen, was the figure of a burly man with his back to them. It was clear that whomever they were, they weren’t alive, if the translucent blue hue and the gaping stab wound in the back of the skull were anything to go by.   
  
“Oh yeah, I see him all right,” Diego said, cautiously backing away. There was something extremely unnerving about seeing an unknown someone in a place you least expected to see anybody. Not only that, but every instinct inside the Kraken right now, was screaming at him to be on high alert. Like this thing was a _threat._ Trusting his gut, he reached for another knife.  
  
“Uhhh… Diego?” Klaus’ voice shook as he spoke, causing brown eyes to steer away from the ghost, to instead be met with the image of the Séance, who’s hands were now consumed by a glowing blue energy.   
  
“What the hell is happening?” Diego asked, torn between which problem required more of his attention.   
  
“I don’t know! This has never happened before!” Klaus retorted, frantic. The Kraken glanced back towards where the spirit was, only to see that he’d moved. In hindsight, that turned out to the problem he should have prioritized, as when he scanned the room to find out where he’d gone, it was too late.   
  
“Klaus!” Diego’s eyes went wide as he witnessed the ghost haul his brother into the air by his throat. _What the fuck!?_ He barely had chance to think much else before launching the knife in his hand. It swerved through the air and embedded itself in the hole in the back of the spirit’s skull. _This feels eerily familiar._ Struck with a sense of Déjà vu, Diego realized exactly why his initial reaction had been so intense.   
  
“Hey you! It’s me you want!” he yelled, throwing another knife at his target. The second blade to the back of the head seemed to get the thing’s attention, as he tossed aside Klaus and reached around to pull out the sharp objects. They clattered to the ground, void of blood or brain matter. Because of course, they’d do nothing to slow this thing down. The man in front of him was already dead. Diego knew that, because he’d been the one to have killed him.   
  
The pale face that turned towards him was vaguely recognizable, the same bloodshot eyes, the same peeled back lips, the same _ferocity_. Diego grabbed the final knife he had stashed on his person and lobbed it into the ghost’s chest as it charged at him. The feral being didn’t even falter, eliciting a curse from the Kraken. He dove out of the way when a fist swung in his direction and the took the opportunity to roundhouse kick the back of the ghost’s knee. The ethereal dickbag didn’t drop like Diego had expected. Though ghosts probably didn’t have physical weak spots. Which made him wonder how the fuck he was going to beat an opponent with the biggest advantage of being virtually invincible.  
  
The answer: he wasn’t.   
  
Although he could make physical contact with the spirit, being impervious to pain or damage meant there was nothing he can do but hold his own. And that was a tactic that could only take him so far. Glancing around the room for an idea, Diego noticed that his brother was back on his feet. “Klaus, a little help? This here is kinda your speciality,” he said, narrowly avoiding a right hook.   
  
“Gotcha.” The Séance’s first instinct, _apparently_ , was to dive onto the back of the ghost and ride it like a bucking bronco. It was move that the Kraken had personally taught him since Klaus wasn’t the best in a fight but was like a tenacious koala when it came to being distracting. Not that this move was going to be of use now. Klaus may as well have been a bunch of feathers for all the good it did at preventing the spirit from continuing to bulldoze Diego.   
  
“Klaus! That was not what I meant!” the Kraken yelled, ducking. _That was a close one._  
  
“Then what did you mean?”  
  
“Do something with your powers! Make it ghostly again!” He ducked for the second time. _That one was even closer._  
  
“Make it ghostly again,” the Séance mimicked him in a mocking tone. “Like I didn’t already think of that, Di!”   
  
“Well, you have to do something! I can’t keep this up forever!” Diego retorted. Dodging a relentless assault was exhausting, whether he liked it or not, he was going to slip up eventually.   
  
“Uhhh, pass me that scarf!” Klaus pointed towards the open duffel bag filled with his clothes that was left lying on one of the armchairs. Diego would have questioned his unfathomable intentions as to why that would be useful, if it weren’t for the adrenaline coursing through his veins that powered his movement before his brain. Because of that fact, he darted towards the bag and yanked out the silk length of cloth and tossed it to his brother. Klaus then used it to wrap around the ghost’s face to hinder its vision, which was both dumb and ingenious.   
  
As far as undead senses go, apparently they still needed eyes to see. Diego was given a brief moment of respite as the ghost struggled with the fabric covering its face, that the Séance had done an exceptional job at binding. Disorientated, it swung wildly and began to careen backwards. Klaus didn’t get enough time to let go before the full weight of the ghost crushed him against the nearest wall, effectively winding him. Now without the Séance holding onto it, the pissed off apparition ripped the scarf away.   
  
“Klaus!” Diego ran towards his discarded knives, to maybe use them to make the blindness more permanent – if that were even possible. He swept them up off the floorboards and launched the first one. It went straight into the ghost’s left eye socket. The second, zipped through thin air and buried itself in the peeling wallpaper. Within a blink the ghost had vanished. Diego’s heart leapt as the cold chill behind him gave away what had happened. Diego span on the spot to come face-to-face with the teleporting bastard, right before he took a left hook to the jaw. One that sent him spinning.   
  
He was on his knees within seconds, fighting away the stars in his vision. By the time the blurriness had faded enough for him to see, he knew he was fucked. The ghost was towering above him, a wooden chair held high above his head, ready to smash on top of him. Diego had enough time to raise his arm, to protect his head from the incoming blow. But the hit never came. Confused, he peeked over his forearm to see the chair hovering in place, above hands that were no longer holding it. The ghost looked just as bewildered as he did, especially when it began to thwart him like it had a mind of its own.   
  
“It’s rude.” Klaus’ voice resounded from across the room. “To beat people.” The chair whacked him again. “With expensive.” Another whack. “Mahogany.” And another. “Furniture.” With one finishing blow the chair slammed into the spirit and it dispersed into a wisp of blue embers.   
  
Having made certain the threat was gone, Diego’s gaze shot towards his brother, who was actually hovering in mid-air like Superman’s flamboyant cousin, or a glitzy kite.   
  
“So, you can fly, too?” The Kraken almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. It looked like his brother really did have a lot of hidden talents.   
  
“Uhhh… I think I’m more levitating?” Klaus replied, awkwardly looking down like he was only just noticing. “Though… I’m not really sure how to… uhhh... land.”   
  
“I have an idea.” Diego rubbed at his bruised jaw as he clambered to his feet. It was a bit of a longshot, but from what he knew about powers in general it would probably apply. The Kraken stopped underneath his floating sibling, who was slowly inching closer towards the cobweb covered chandelier.   
  
“Jesus, it’s gross up here.” Klaus grimaced in disgust at one of the mouldy candles. “So err… what’s your idea?”  
  
“I promise I’ll catch you,” Diego answered, not wanting to ruin the surprise. He needed to catch Klaus off guard for it to have the desired effect.   
  
“What do you m–?” The Séance didn’t get chance to finish his sentence, instead erupting into a fit of laughter. It worked as anticipated, and Klaus immediately plummeted into Diego’s awaiting arms. The Kraken knew there was nothing better at disrupting even the most basic form of concentration than being subjected to the torture that was tickling. And Klaus really was ticklish, especially at his feet.   
  
“Hey! I could have really hurt myself falling like that!” the Séance whined, smacking him on the shoulder.   
  
“I said I’d catch you,” Diego reminded.   
  
“Yeah, yeah, just put me down.” The Kraken did just that, gently placing his brother on the sofa, where his breathlessness became more apparent.   
  
“You okay?” he asked, taking up residence beside him.   
  
Klaus nodded, holding his chest with a bit of distress. “Yeah… just a lot of excitement, I’ll stop hyperventilating… in a moment.”  
  
Diego decided to help out with that endeavour by rubbing his back. It took a few minutes, but Klaus did manage to get his breathing under control, much to his relief. Though he did seem rather exhausted afterwards.   
  
“So, telekinesis, huh?” Diego said, definitely wanting to talk about this. “That’s pretty cool.” He’d be jealous if it weren’t for the fact that he was glad that his brother had an ability that didn’t have crippling drawbacks. One that might actually make him feel less worthless.   
  
“I know, can you imagine? I’ll now be able to paint my fingernails and toes at the same time.”  
  
Diego rolled his eyes in amusement. “Of course that would be what you’d use it for.”  
  
“Damn right! I can be even lazier now.” Klaus seemed delighted by that idea.   
  
“Great, you can be on cleaning duty from now on,” Diego couldn’t help but tease. “As you can do all the tasks at once.”   
  
“Hey! No fair! I don’t even know how to control it yet.” The Séance crossed his arms and pouted, clearly thinking he was being serious.   
  
“I’m only kidding, idiot.” Diego playfully ruffled his brother’s already dishevelled curls, grinning when Klaus tried to bat his hand away. “Though I do think I’ve figured out what triggers your new powers.”  
  
“Oh?” The Séance raised an eyebrow. “Pray tell.”  
  
“Both times you’ve done it you were protecting me.” The opportunity had never really risen before. In the past, it was always Diego protecting Klaus from oncoming danger.   
  
“I’m not sure if I should be personally offended by my own powers. Clearly, they don’t seem to think I’m worthy enough of protecting as I’ve been in plenty of scrapes where a bit of object floating would have come in handy. Though, it’s not really all that surprising as they’ve always had a track record of enjoying making my life miserable. I mean, I did just manifest a spirit that tried to kill us.” Klaus grumbled at that. It was pretty true that the Séance’s powers were as temperamental as the Séance was himself. But all their abilities were an extension of themselves, so it was any wonder that his main powers caused chaos and these new ones decided to wait until the most dramatic moment to make an appearance.   
  
“You’re forgetting one important detail there,” Diego said, recalling an aspect of all this that might really cheer Klaus up. “You also managed to banish that spirit.”   
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Well, I highly doubt you scared it off by beating it with a chair. You did something. Used your powers in some way.”  
  
Klaus thought about it for a moment, staring down at his hands that were no longer glowing that sapphire shade of blue. “Holy shit. I did didn’t I?” A bright grin spread across his face, and he suddenly bounced on the seat like a hyperactive toddler. “Do you have any idea what this means, Diego!? If I can learn to banish ghosts, I can make them go away! I won’t actually be _dependent_ on the drugs to do that anymore! I can be normal. Well, normal-er.”   
  
There was something infectious about Klaus’ giddiness that made Diego’s heart thump in such a fond and excited way, a reaction that came with it a sudden desire to kiss his brother. Diego reacted on that impulse and grabbed Klaus’ jumper, pulling him close. He didn’t think twice as he pressed their lips together, finally taking that next big step.   
  
Klaus let out an adorable squeak from the shock, but quickly melted into the kiss, submitting the way the Kraken knew he would. Diego was eager to take full advantage of the situation and pressed his palms against his sibling’s shoulders to push him further onto the couch. Klaus seemed to get the message and lay back, allowing him to straddle his waist. Diego had to admit, he liked him better this way; pinned beneath him, and at his mercy.   
  
Burying his fingers in brown locks, Diego deepened the kiss, demanding access to the rest of Klaus’ warm mouth. The Séance surrendered to his dominance with desperation, opening up to allow him access. Their tongues met with experienced technique, and the fact that Klaus still tasted of peanut butter only ignited Diego’s desire for _more._ After jacking his brother off, it was crazy how this moment was the one that felt more erotic. Because right now, the Kraken felt nothing but tingles surging down his jaw and spine, and his heart fluttering in his chest.   
  
“You planning on fucking me on this ugly old couch?” Klaus asked, smirking like a little imp.   
  
“The thought had occurred to me,” Diego replied. His fingers crawled their way up underneath Klaus’ jumper, across a smooth stomach and overly sensitive ribs.   
  
“You seem to be going the wrong way,” the Séance said, squirming. “The fun parts are down south.”   
  
“Haven’t you ever heard of foreplay, Klaus?” Diego snorted, pressing a kiss against one of his brother’s flushed cheeks. He wanted to explore every inch of his favourite Hargreeves. Cherish the moment. Actually have their first time together be special.   
  
“Of course, I just expected you to be… more like a bull in rut.”  
  
“Isn’t that you?” Diego wasn’t sure if he should be offended by that. But he supposed he did give off that kind of vibe with his affinity for leather and his general ‘shoot first ask questions later’ mentality.   
  
“Nope, I’m more like a cat in heat: whiney and needy.”   
  
Diego shook his head in amusement. Klaus really did have a unique perspective on everything. “I suppose I would like to hear some of those whines.”   
  
“And I’ll be happy to oblige. I’ve been told I’m a very vocal lover.”  
  
“Pretty sure half the continent could tell you that.”  
  
“Is that a joke at how easy I am? Or how loud?”   
  
Diego shrugged. “Both.”   
  
“Rude!” Klaus gasped, and thumped him on the arm. “I mean, you’re not wrong. But still!”  
  
“Just shut up and let me kiss you.”   
  
“Okay.”   
  
And just like that, their lips were once again locked in a lust fuelled battle. Diego was eager to take things further, and he started by turning his attention to Klaus’ neck. He wanted to mark him, the same way he’d done Patch. The Kraken nipped at the tender flesh of his brother’s pulse point and sucked the area until Klaus let out a soft mewl.   
  
“Ewww gross. Can you guys maybe not do that in front of me?” A familiar voice startled Diego into a sudden halt. He hadn’t heard that voice in an awful long time. _Could it really be…?_ _  
_ _  
_ _“_ Ugh, bad timing, Ben,” Klaus groaned, in utter annoyance. The Kraken’s heart hammered for a whole new reason as he jerked his head in the direction of the voice, to see none other than Number Six standing there, looking entirely disgusted by the display in front of him. “You are literally the worst cock-block in existence, did you know that?”   
  
“B-Ben?” Diego couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Although the figure wasn’t entirely corporeal and was glowing that deathly shade of blue, he was still there, older looking, but there.   
  
Klaus sat up with a start and glanced between them both. “You can see him, too?” he asked.   
  
“Wait. You can see me?” Ben looked directly at Diego and blinked.   
  
Feeling tears of joy sting the corners of his eyes, Diego forgot about his desire to fornicate and shot towards the figure, aiming to hug him. When his arms wrapped around something solid, albeit a little cold, he was overjoyed. “I’ve m-m-missed you so much.”  
  
“Uhhh… hi, Diego.” Arms encircled him back, causing those happy tears to fall. “It’s nice to see you, too. Well, it’s nice for you to see me, too.”   
  
There was no denying it now. Ben’s spirit really had been hanging around, watching over them, never having moved on. For the first time in five years, Diego entirely believed it. He pulled away from the embrace, just to look his deceased brother over once more. “It really is you.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“You look… good?” Diego wasn’t really sure how else to put it. The few spirits he had seen were all dead looking, like their image was trapped in the moment of their death. They’d all seen Ben die, and yet here he stood, in _one_ piece.   
  
“I think it’s because Klaus remembers me like this,” Ben said. “Klaus’ powers have always been different around me than the other spirits.”  
  
“Hargreeves family privilege, apparently,” Klaus added, grumpily. He appeared to be sulking. And possibly hiding a boner underneath the cushion that was now over his lap.   
  
“It seems a lot happened while I was away,” Ben remarked. He pointed between them both like they were connected by some invisible line. “So, you two are a _thing_ now?”  
  
Diego scratched the back of his neck, unsure of how to answer. Would it be weird to admit to having feelings for a sibling to another sibling? Most probably.   
  
“It’s okay, Di. I’ve pined enough to Ben for him to know how I feel about you. I don’t exactly have a lot of privacy and I don’t have any shame, so I never really bothered to hide it,” Klaus said.   
  
“So, you don’t find it weird?” Diego was still rather skeptical.   
  
“The definition of weird loses its value a lot when the only person you can interact with is Klaus,” Ben replied, grinning slightly.   
  
“Fair point.”   
  
“Oi!” Klaus lobbed a cushion at Ben, who took it to the face. His startled reaction meant he must have forgotten that it wouldn’t just go through him right now. Though it also caused his grin to spread when he realized that he could throw it back. Which was exactly what he did.   
  
“Honestly, I was kinda rooting for you both. Mainly because I was fed up of watching this idiot here hook-up with random sleazebags that only encourage his bad choices.”  
  
Klaus stuck his tongue out at Ben, reminding Diego of the way the pair used to scrap as kids. It was nostalgic to know that nothing had really changed between them.   
  
“Ben, now that you’re here, we really need to ask you something important about what happened a few days ago.”  
  
“I was just about to bring that up, but got kinda distracted with the whole I’m visible thing,” Ben said, shifting on the spot. A more sincere expression washed over his features as he sat himself down on the floor cross-legged. “I don’t know if you know, Diego, but Klaus didn’t get high that night. After your dumb fight, he wanted to, but for the first time ever he managed to talk himself out of it.”  
  
“Called it!” Klaus announced, overly enthusiastic.  
  
“You still got drunk, Klaus.”  
  
The Séance waved him off, dismissive. “Baby steps, Benny.”   
  
Ben shook his head and continued, “After he left the bar, he got jumped by a guy wearing a mask. The same kind of mask all those girls talked about. He knocked Klaus out with chloroform and then set up a fake self-inflicted overdose…” He trailed off momentarily, to look at Klaus with a certain regret that Diego understood the origin of. “I felt so powerless as I sat with you, not able to do anything to help. Then, I got catapulted away, like I usually do when your heart stops. I was worried when I couldn’t find my way back that you’d died for real.”  
  
“Yeah about that, I was ummm… in hospital for a while, haunting Diego like Casper the pervy ghost,” Klaus said, trying to lighten the mood.   
  
“I’m glad you’re okay.”   
  
“Me too. I kinda like being alive right now.”   
  
A thought struck Diego then. “Wait. How did the killer know that Klaus is a junkie?”   
  
“That’s a good point. It’s not exactly something I’ve been parading to the faculty members. And it’s not like we’re all _that_ famous anymore. Neither of us have really been recognised since we got here. Except by Ramirez,” Klaus said. “But he wasn’t on the list, right?”   
  
“No, he wasn’t.”   
  
“He should have been,” Ben interrupted.   
  
Diego looked towards the Horror. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Ramirez was a student here before he became the dean. I saw a picture of him while you were scanning through the yearbooks. I told Klaus, but he wasn’t paying attention, as usual.”  
  
“You know I tune out when I’m bored,” the Séance said, holding up his hands in a feeble attempt to excuse himself. Diego would have shot him a glare if it weren’t for the fact that he had been the one to suffer the consequences of his own ignorance. “Oh! I remember something else, too. All those girls talked about sour candy. And isn’t Ramirez’s pet bird called Lemon Drop? That can’t be a coincidence, right?”  
  
“That does seem suspicious. He’d also have access to the basement which I know has a furnace room inside, perfect for destroying corpses.” Diego cracked his knuckles as he speculated in his head. Although the signs were starting to point towards the dean, the evidence was still only circumstantial. They needed something more concrete. “Ben, think back, is there anything else you can remember? Any small detail at all?”  
  
“Well, when Klaus was struggling against the chloroform rag, he managed to tear one of the latex gloves and underneath was a bite mark?” he said.   
  
“A bite mark?” Diego’s eyebrows furrowed. That information felt important, but he couldn’t quite place it.   
  
“Laurie!” Klaus snapped his fingers. “She bit him.”   
  
“That asshole.” A specific injury like that was hard to refute. After all this time, Diego had spent trusting the guy, even thinking he was decent when in reality he actually a worse scumbag that his own father. He turned towards Ben to thank him for his help, only to find that the space where he sat was now unoccupied. “Ben?”   
  
“He’s still there,” Klaus uttered, holding his head in his hand. The energy seemed to have drained from his voice. Along with a lot of the colour in his face. A pang of worry drew Diego back to the sofa, where he sat down beside his treasured sibling.   
  
“You all right?” he asked, curling his arm around Klaus’ shoulders when he moved to lean against him.   
  
“Yeah, I just… feel really tired all of a sudden.”   
  
Diego had almost forgotten that the only reason he managed to see Ben in the first place was because of Klaus. His powers must have been on maximum settings, so it was any wonder they were starting to wipe him out. Especially since he wasn’t in the best of health to begin with.   
  
“Thanks, Ben,” Diego said. It was about time he started to address his other brother like he was with them, even when he couldn’t see him.   
  
“He says you’re welcome, and that we probably shouldn’t do anything rash.”   
  
“You mean like confront the motherfucker and threaten him with one of my knives?”  
  
“Yeah, that.”   
  
“I’m not making any promises. I’ve got personal beef with him and I don’t let that shit go easy,” Diego said. That asshole almost managed to kill Klaus, twice. There wasn’t any way he was going to let that slide. When this went down, an it will, he was going to be there front and centre. “But, I will press pause for a day or two, at least until Klaus doesn’t look like he’s about to pass out.”  
  
“Passing out does sound pretty good,” the Séance agreed.   
  
“Yupp. You’re lying down now.” Diego steered his brother onto his back and got him comfortable. As much as he wanted to kick some ass, his sibling’s health came first. He’d learnt his lesson the hard way.   
  
“Guess we have to take a rain check on that railing, huh?” Klaus muttered. Even though he could barely keep his eyes open, he still managed to pull off a rather cheeky smirk.   
  
“You really have no shame in saying this shit in front of Ben, do you?” Diego really was going to have start checking up on whether or not they had an audience.   
  
“Meh, he’s not listening. He’s more interested in that old bookshelf over there.” Klaus vaguely gestured to the corner of the room. “I think he’d appreciate it if you get a book out for him. Just turn the page every minute or so, so he can read it.”  
  
“Ahh, so that’s why you do that.” Diego did always wonder why Klaus would often leave an open novel by his side that he wouldn’t be reading himself, but would intermittently turn the pages of. Funny how he never really though to ask about it.   
  
“I like to think I’m not a total ass of a brother,” Klaus said.   
  
“You’re not.” The Kraken leant in to peck his sibling on the cheek and then whispered in his ear, quiet enough to make sure that Ben couldn’t hear, “Go to sleep, baby.”   
  
Klaus hummed an affirmative response before turning onto his side and curling up. Diego picked out the least musty blanket he could find and used it to cover him, and then headed towards the bookshelf to select a work of fiction that he thought Ben would enjoy.


	18. Chapter 18

“So, which one do you want to murder first? Stare-at-You-While-You-Sleep-Annabelle or Kill-it-with-Fire-Edith?” Klaus questioned, using his new telekinetic powers to make the two really creepy porcelain dolls hover in front of them. They’d found the pair stashed inside a closet while exploring and Diego thought they’d make excellent target practice.   
  
“My vote is for Annabelle. One of her eyes keeps blinking on its own,” Ben said, not looking up from the book in his hands. “And it’s really creeping me out.”   
  
Klaus had also been practicing his ability to manifest and Ben had been taking full advantage of this time to binge read every book he could get his semi-corporeal hands on. Diego had to admit, he was quite enjoying having him around.   
  
“OK, one vote for Annabelle. I’m going to go with Edith because that overly frilly dress does not match those icky shoes,” Klaus said, wrinkling his nose at the sight of the fashion disaster. “Diego, you’re the deciding vote.”  
  
“How about both?” he said. It was about time he tried practicing to hit multiple targets in separate locations again.  
  
“Oooo someone is feeling confident today,” the Séance sung.  
  
“Can’t have you stealing all the spotlight,” Diego remarked. The learning curve for Klaus had been rather impressive, which of course, resulted in a lot of showing off. It also involved a lot of accidents. Though, thankfully, none of them had been homicidal. Still, Diego could have done without seeing the little girl with the burnt off face. And would have preferred to have not spent most of yesterday having to clean up shattered plates.   
  
“But I like the spotlight.” Klaus pouted.   
  
“That’s because you’re an attention whore,” Diego said, being playful.   
  
The Séance theatrically placed his hand over his heart as he spoke wistfully, “What can I say? Daddy didn’t give me enough love as a child, so I had to turn to other means to get the attention I so desperately crave.”   
  
Diego snorted, “Now you sound like a stripper.”  
  
“To be fair, I’d make an _excellent_ stripper.” Klaus’ cheeky grin was nothing short of filthy as he made a pointed effort to remove his scarf in a sensual manner. His hazel eyes sparkled as he then used it to delicately wrap around Diego’s neck, to draw him in. The Kraken took a magnetic step closer and curled his arm around his brother’s waist. From there, he closed the distance between them, till their lips were only a breath part. “Though don’t worry, you’d be my only client.”  
  
The sound of two loud thunks snapped their attention back to the room around them. They jerked apart and looked towards the two dolls that were now sprawled on the floor.   
  
“Oh. Right. Yeah.” Klaus muttered to himself. Flirting really was a sure fire way to short circuit the Séance’s powers.   
  
“You two should get a room. Preferably one that I’m not in,” Ben complained, absently turning a page.   
  
“You’re more than welcome to leave, Benny,” the Séance hummed, adding in a shooing motion to emphasize his point. When their other brother didn’t respond, Klaus smirked. “That’s what I thought.”   
  
“Maybe we should get back on track. No more distractions,” Diego said. He really wanted to throw some knives, sharpen his skills. Especially as tomorrow was when he planned for them to go back. The worst of Klaus’ symptoms passed yesterday, so today was just making sure that he was definitely okay. He seemed well enough, bar the occasional dizzy spell or cough.   
  
“On it.” Klaus waved his hands about in a mystical manner (for unnecessary dramatic flair when using his powers) and the two dolls once again floated up in the air. He separated them to the opposite ends of the room and Diego stood in the middle, knives at the ready. But before he had chance to launch them, he felt a warm peck at his cheek. Holding back a sigh, he turned to face the culprit who had left it there.  
  
“For luck,” Klaus said, all innocent. Diego tried not to smile at that, he didn’t want to give his brother the satisfaction of being the only person in the world who could get away with being a little shit. Instead, he turned his attention towards the creepy-ass targets and focused. If Klaus could simultaneously move two objects _and_ keep Ben tangible, then he could throws two knives in multiple directions.   
  
He took a deep breath and locked onto the kinetic energy of the weapons as he warmed up with a few stationary tosses. Annabelle was to the north-west of him and Edith was south-east. Having snap-shotted the locations to memory, he threw his weapons. Both knives zipped through the air, the left one dodging past a lampshade and the right skimming between two vases. Knife number one struck Annabelle in the faulty eye socket and knife number two pierced through Edith’s locket in the centre of the tatty dress.   
  
“Holy shit, Di! You did it!” Klaus cheered. Diego had just enough time to react and catch his brother as Klaus vaulted onto him, curling his legs around his middle and his arms around his neck.   
  
“It’s a good job you’re scrawny,” the Kraken said.   
  
“Ugh. Not again.”   
  
Klaus ignored the protests of Ben and pressed his lips against Diego’s in a passionate kiss, the one that had been robbed from them before. The Kraken could get used to this, to the spontaneous shows of affection and the currently fruity taste of Klaus on his tongue. He’d had a peach for breakfast.   
  
“So… wanna keep practicing?” the Séance murmured, resting their foreheads together.   
  
“Kissing or throwing knives?”   
  
“Your choice.”  
  
As much as Diego would have loved to have kept going, to have maybe thrown Klaus back on that couch and torn his clothes off, he figured he’d give Ben a break. With a reluctant sigh, he came to his decision. “I guess we can make sure those ugly fucking dolls are definitely destroyed.”   
  
  
So that was how they spent the next hour. By the time they were finished with target practice, Annabelle and Edith were nothing more than a massacre of splintered porcelain and tattered fabric. Klaus’ powers began to dwindle in strength after that and Ben returned to being just a ghostly presence, leaving the pair semi-alone to break into the last room they had yet to pillage.   
  
The door took a simple kick to break the lock, and also almost take it off its hinges. It swung open to reveal another bedroom, this one probably having belonged to a well bred lady – if the closet overflowing with corset dresses was anything to go by.  
  
“I call dibs on the jewellery!” Klaus declared, having spied the ornate box. He made a beeline towards it and searched inside while making various judgemental noises. Nothing really stood out for Diego as he idly scanned the rest of the room. He had no interest in old perfumes or useless trinkets, so instead he joined his brother, hugging him from behind and watching his kleptomania unfurl over his shoulder.   
  
“Find anything interesting?” Diego questioned. Technically speaking, they were robbing the place. But Diego didn’t have any qualms with stealing from that bastard that owned the house and its contents anyway.   
  
“Mostly pearls. They aren’t really my style,” Klaus said, tossing aside a few more bits and pieces. Diego nuzzled his brother’s hairline, debating whether or not to leave a kiss there, before being startled by the sound of gasping.   
  
“Oh. My. God.” The Séance pulled out a pristine velvet choker with a shimmering green gemstone encased in silver that was dangling from the centre. “This is _gorgeous_.”   
  
“Want me to put it on for you?” the Kraken offered.   
  
“Make it nice and tight. Like it’s, well, _choking_ me.”   
  
“Kinky fucker.” Diego took the item and carefully circled it around his brother’s slender neck, securing it in place by the silver clasp. Despite instruction, he did, in fact, leave enough space for his dumbass sibling to still be able to breathe. Klaus shot towards the full length mirror to admire himself, fingers brushing over the new addition to his ensemble.  
  
“I look exquisite! The gemstone really brings out my eyes.” He blew his reflection a kiss, and then frowned, contemplative. “Hmm, something is missing.”  
  
“Like what?” Diego found himself drawn to his brother again. There was something quite sexy about that choker.   
  
“Do you think I should get an ear pierced?” Klaus spun to face him. “Or maybe my tongue? I feel the sudden need to decorate more of myself.”  
  
“If that’s what you want,” Diego said, wondering what the Séance would look like with nothing on _but_ the choker. His trance was broken by the sound of his burner phone beeping in his pocket. He reached for it, already knowing who the text would be from. He’d been keeping in contact with Patch over the last couple of days for various reasons. But mostly for updates on Number Twenty-Four. She’d been periodically sending photographs of him to appease Klaus, as he really was missing the fluffy critter; he’d even had a breakdown over it. Granted, he was going through a pretty rough moment in his withdrawal at the time, but his feelings were real nonetheless.   
  
Diego opened up the message, only to read something that made his blood run cold.   
  
_  
I know you’re onto me._ _  
_ _  
_  
Another message came through, this time with a photograph attached. The sharp pain in Diego’s chest spiked when he opened it up, revealing a picture of Patch beaten and tied up to a chair. In the background of the dark room, was a furnace with a fire blazing. Diego knew that location.  
  
The third message pinged.  
  
 _  
Meet me in the crematorium within 24 hours, or she dies._


	19. Chapter 19

Diego’s grip on the steering wheel was as tight as his jaw was clenched. He’d barely spoken a word during the steadfast drive back to campus, one that was spent pushing his luck with the speed limit. Even Klaus was uncharacteristically silent as he fiddled with his seatbelt and chewed mercilessly at his bottom lip. He must have known that the Kraken was on a war path and any attempt to pacify it would be met with misdirected fury.   
  
It was early evening by the time they pulled up to the campus parking lot. Diego switched off the vehicles engine, and turned towards his brother. “If I tell you to wait in the car, will you?”   
  
“You’re really going to side line me like everyone else does?” Klaus made a bitter noise. “I’m not _useless_ , Diego.”   
  
“I know you’re not. It’s just that there is a good chance that this is a trap and I don’t want to be worrying about you the entire time.”   
  
Klaus crossed his arms and frowned. “You can drop the whole macho lone wolf act, Di. It’s not impressive.”  
  
Diego pinched the bridge of his nose, he really wasn’t doing a good job of getting his point across, of how he really felt. How he couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt. How he cared about him more than anything in the world. How he’d be unable to forgive himself if something happened on his watch. He’d already nearly lost him twice within such a short space of time and that had almost destroyed him. Abandoning his words, he instead reached for his brother’s jaw and turned his head to face him. As Diego had discovered, kissing Klaus was the perfect distraction. The Séance didn’t notice as he reached for the glove box and quietly searched inside, till he found the the metal contraption he was looking for. With it in hand, he acted quick, grabbing hold of his brother’s left wrist and slapping on a handcuff.   
  
“Hey! What are you–!?” Klaus didn’t get to finish his protest before he was shackled to the car door. “Where did you even get these!?”  
  
“That choker wasn’t the only thing lying around,” Diego said.   
  
The Séance growled and began aggressively yanking at the cuff. “Let me go!”   
  
“I can’t do that. You’ll be safe here.” The Kraken took out his burner phone and placed it on the dashboard. “If I don’t come out in twenty-five minutes, you call the police, okay?”   
  
“That sounds like you don’t have a plan, Diego!” Klaus yelled.  
  
“Of course I have a plan.” He exited the car, turning out the barrage of insults directed at him as he slammed the door closed. The guilt he felt now wouldn’t compare to what it would be if he let him tag along and something happened.   
  
Filling his lungs with oxygen, he followed the directions given to him in the follow up text and found the secret stairwell inside the unused dorm room. From there, he headed down, fingers remaining attached to the knife sheathed inside the strap on his chest. He had brought along his entire collection; there wasn’t a single spot on his body that he wasn’t packing something sharp. Ramirez had pissed off the mighty Kraken. And Kraken’s were not known for their mercy.   
  
Reaching the bottom of the steps, Diego continued down the dimly lit corridor. He found the ajar metal door at the end of the pathway, beneath exposed pipes and crumbling stone. From the crack he could see flickering, and smell the sharp odour of smoke and ash. _Flames_. He reached for the door and with caution, pulled it further open. Something silver glinted near his feet. _Trip wire._ Diego grinned as he stepped over it. As if he would fall for something that obvious. He followed the wire to its source to see it connected to a taser.   
  
“Your reputation for being sharp was clearly well bestowed.”  
  
Diego’s attention snapped towards the direction of the voice. The first thing he saw was Patch, still gagged and bound to the chair, but now with the barrel of a gun pressed against her temple. Behind her was _him_ , the asshole who still had the audacity to hide his face.   
  
“Lose the mask, Ramirez. I know it’s you,” Diego spat. A black gloved hand pulled away the painted porcelain to reveal the familiar features of the dean behind.   
  
“I see the Kraken, but no Séance,” he said, tossing the mask aside.   
  
“You ain’t gonna see him, asshole.”   
  
“Pity. I wanted to thank him for being the most entertaining experience of my career. And to congratulate him on being the closest anyone has ever come to exposing my secret.” Ramirez smiled like he still held all the cards, which only pissed Diego off.   
  
“You make it sound like it was all a game.”  
  
“It was. I could have had you both kicked out the moment you and Klaus uncovered the body of my first victim. But I didn’t. I was curious you see, curious to see how close your brother would get. Those powers of his are truly fascinating; the ability to commune with the dead. Being able to talk to all those women I slaughtered, made me realize that he was truly a threat to my craft. So, I knew he had to go.” Ramirez paused in his villainous monologue to unwrap a sour candy, which he then place in his mouth. “It was easy to manipulate, and cause tension between you both. Klaus Hargreeves is rather highly strung, and with a very colourful history, easy to take advantage of. I planted the drugs in his bag to make you believe he was thinking of using again and I picked dear Laurie as my latest victim just for him; a way to, as one might say, push him over the edge. I almost had you fooled. Ideally, he should have died from that overdose, but it appears your brother is too stubborn to die.”  
  
“Why are you telling me all this?” Diego questioned, deciding to keep the man talking so he could think up a plan. Sure he could throw a knife, but he didn’t want to take that risk. As quick as he was, a blade was not faster than a bullet. He glanced towards Patch to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, and that he had this situation under control. He’d been trained all his life to deal with bad guys. So that was exactly what he’d do.   
  
“Because Number Two, I _want_ you to know. After all these years of hiding in secret, I finally get to expose everything; my big revelation. The thing about serial killers, is that they secretly crave an audience.”   
  
“Well if you crave an audience so bad I’ll happily walk you down to the nearest police station so you can turn yourself in. With the shit that you’ve stockpiled, I’m sure you’ll get a lot of media attention before you’re given the death penalty.” This was probably a close to a warning that this monster was going to get.   
  
“And why would I do that? I already have two of the three testifiers to my crimes right here in the room with me. First I’ll kill you. Then her. And then I’ll hunt down that junkie. I doubt he’ll get far.”   
  
Diego clenched his teeth. Ramirez really had done a good job at hiding his inner psychopath. The charade he had put on display for him before was entirely corrupted now. All that fake sympathy had been replaced with nothing but cruel intentions. “Now, I want you to take all those knives you have stashed on your person and throw them into the furnace.”  
  
“Like that’s going to happen,” Diego retorted.  
  
“If you don’t I’ll put a bullet through her skull now,” Ramirez warned, cocking back the hammer. Other than the hitch of a shaky breath, Patch remained silent and composed, like she was a professional. Diego couldn’t help but admire her guts. “Do it.”  
  
“Okay! Okay!” The Kraken held up his hands and marched over to the furnace, feeling the heat beat against his face. One by one he threw his cherished steel blades into the red hot fire, and watched as they began to melt. Without his weapons he knew he’d lost the upper-hand. But Diego was still well trained in combat. If Ramirez got close enough with that gun, he could definitely manage to disarm him.   
  
“Good. Now back up.” Ramirez turned the gun on him. Diego did as he was told, keeping his eyes locked on that trigger finger. _Just a little closer._ “I have to admit, there is a certain thrill to the thought of adding you to my list of victims. Although you’re not my usual type, I’ll happily make an exception. After all, I wasn’t lying when I said that I found all you Hargreeves exceptional.”  
  
“Is that right? Well, how would you like to meet the rest of us? I’m sure my sister would have a few choice words to say to you,” Diego said. Ramirez raised the gun a little higher and took another step closer. _Almost._ _  
_ _  
_“I’m sure I’ll get ample opportunity to meet Allison and Luther during your funeral that I will, of course, be attending, out of respect.”  
  
Diego noticed the trigger finger twitch and was about to react when he heard the one voice he really didn’t want to hear.   
  
“Hey! Asshole!” Klaus yelled. It was unclear which one of them he was referring to at this point. His brother was about to storm in when Diego suddenly remembered a very important detail.   
  
“Klaus, watch out for the–!” His words were cut off to the sound of a wire snapping and the Séance hitting the floor with a pained yelp. “–Tripwire.”   
  
“Is your brother always this idiotic?” Ramirez raised an amused eyebrow. Diego didn’t answer. The barrel of his gun remained pointed in his direction as the dean headed over and crouched down beside the twitching Klaus, that was now barely conscious. With a shit-eating grin, he reached out to smooth back the brown curls that had fallen across the Séance’s pale face. “Gonna be pretty hard to use any of those fancy powers after receiving a shock like that.”  
  
“Don’t touch him!” Diego snapped, heart galloping in his chest. All his stupid brother had to do was stay inside the fucking car. But no, clearly that was asking too fucking much.   
  
“Brotherly love is always so quaint. I’ll enjoy this.” Ramirez took a few paces back and repositioned the gun to a new target. Diego reacted on primal instinct. There was no time to reach the gun as it fired. But there was enough time to put himself in-between the path of the bullet, which is exactly what he did.   
  
Diego had been shot before. A couple of times, actually. So he knew exactly what it felt like. That acute piercing sensation. Then, the white hot flash of pain. And finally, the burning that felt like the wound had a been lit on fire. That was what was supposed to happen. Except, he felt none of that. In fact, he felt nothing at all.   
  
“What the hell?” Ramirez fired the gun in his direction three more times. It was then that Diego noticed the kinetic energy buzzing around him. He’d managed to lock onto it subconsciously, something which he hadn’t done before. He looked down to see the four bullets hovering a few inches away from his chest, temporarily locked in place.   
  
“Oh shit. Now that’s cool.” He grinned. Feeling the thrum of energy he flicked his hand to help relocate it, and the bullets trajectory turned a solid ninety-degrees to instead continue their path into the nearby stone walls.   
  
With Ramirez still stunned, Diego used the moment to his advantage, and effectively disarmed him. But there was no time to celebrate, as as soon as the gun left his grasp, a fist was heading his way. Diego managed to block it and retaliated with his own right hook. The fight turned into an all out demonstration of combat prowess. One that was rather evenly matched.   
  
Until Diego spotted his opening. After dodging a well aimed blow, the Kraken punched Ramirez’s exposed mid-section, which caused a thorough winding. Having watched his aggressor drop to a knee, he prepared a final strike to knock him clean out. But all it took a was split second for him to realize he’d been played. Ramirez was quick to pull out the stun gun that had been hidden behind layers of fabric, and was even quicker at thrusting it into his chest.   
  
Pain surged through Diego’s system, setting alight his nerves and seizing his muscles. He saw stars as he collapsed to the floor, barely able to breathe and unable to hear past the ringing in his ears. Something hard pressed against his forehead. Doubled over, he slowly peeled his swimming vision off the floor and looked up to see the gun back in Ramirez’s hands.   
  
“It’s all over now,” he said. “I’d like to see you deflect this.”  
  
“Hey! Dean Psycho-Slasher-Movie.”   
  
Ramirez growled under his breath and turned sharply towards Klaus, who seemed to have mostly recovered from the taser shock. “What!? _”_ _  
_ _  
_“I know some ladies that _really_ don’t like you,” the Séance sung, his tune eerily playful. “And they’re right over there.” He pointed towards the figures in the corner of the room that were beginning to manifest fully into existence. The gun slipped from Ramirez’s fingers as he saw each one of his victims standing in all their macabre glory with fury written over their disfigured faces.   
  
At the front of the pack was Laurie. The only one that appeared as Klaus remembered. Her ethereal hand reached for a hacksaw that was left on the bench amongst other tools uses for dismembering.   
  
“Let’s get him, girls,” she declared, leading the battle charge. The shock on Ramirez’ face as his frozen body was slammed against the ground would forever be burnt onto Diego’s hazy memory. Along with the screams of agony that pierced the air as the ghosts ripped and tore at his flesh, carving him up like a piece of meat.   
  
“Diego, let’s go.” Klaus was back in his field of vision, grabbing hold of his upper arm to yank him to his feet. Patch was there, too. His brother must have freed her during his temporary stupor.  
  
  
Back outside in the fresh air, Klaus was the first to comment on the wild and horrific turn of events, “Man, those girls were really vicious.”   
  
Not that Diego was paying attention to that, as all he could think about was how close Klaus had come to getting shot. Unable to diffuse the bomb inside him, he charged at his brother and prodded him in the shoulder, accusatory. “I told you to wait in the car!”  
  
“And you told me you had a plan!” Klaus retorted.   
  
“I did!”   
  
“Diego, you _never_ have a plan. You just rush in and throw your knives and hope it’ll solve the problem.” The Séance wasn’t wrong. That was pretty much the gist of what Diego had intended on doing.   
  
“I had it all under control until you came barging in and got yourself tasered!”  
  
“You got tasered, too!”  
  
“Will you two stop arguing and just hug it out already!” Patch interrupted. The sharpness in her voice slapped some sense into Diego, as he realized the ass he was making of himself. _Force of habit._ The tension settled inside him and he did as he was instructed, enveloping his sibling in a much needed embrace. All that mattered, was that he was alive and okay.   
  
“I’m sorry for being a dick,” Diego murmured, burying his fingers in his brother’s brown locks.   
  
“It’s okay. It’s part of your charm.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
Klaus chuckled softly. “No. But hey, we’ve all got our faults.”  
  
Diego pulled away, but didn’t let go, just so he could smile at the scrawny moron he’d fallen in love with. The one who’s thumb was tenderly brushing over his split lip.   
  
“You know you look kinda sexy with some cuts and bruises,” Klaus uttered, quiet enough to keep it between the two of them.   
  
“And you look very sexy in that choker,” he whispered back. Something occurred to him then and he couldn’t help but ask, “Wait. How did you break out of the cuff?”   
  
“Oh!” Klaus’ face lit up as he reached to the back of his head and pulled free a bobby pin that he must have kept hidden under his unruly locks. “I started carrying one of these around ever since, y’know, what happened last time.” He wiggled his cast-covered arm in front of Diego’s face. A couple more weeks and he’d have that removed.   
  
“That is strangely clever of you,” Diego said, rather proud.   
  
“Probably good preparation for when I get arrested in the future for trying to steal snacks from a newsagent, or public intoxication, or even having sex in the changing booth at a mall.” Klaus could probably list a lot more petty crimes than that. He already had a record. Quite a colourful one.   
  
“Hey, that last one better be with me,” Diego said.  
  
“Sure, we’ll get arrested together. It’ll be out first date!” Klaus let out a gleeful giggle, that was quite frankly, _adorable_.   
  
“Well, we do have that mall trip I owe you.” Diego winked at him, unable to help himself. Not that he had any plans on _actually_ committing public fornication, at least not somewhere he’d be likely to get caught. He couldn’t risk being added to the database.   
  
Patch cleared her throat a few feet away, startling both Hargreeves boys from their intimate trance.   
  
“Uhhh… how much did you h-hear?” Diego uttered. He’d actually forgotten they had company.   
  
“Pretty much all of it you dumb lovebirds. Guess my hunch was correct.”  
  
The Kraken choked on his next breath. “You knew?”  
  
“Aspiring detective, Diego.”  
  
“Right.” 


	20. Chapter 20

_The Lemon Drop Butcher_ was what they called him. The story of Dean Ramirez hit the media like a hurricane, bringing the Umbrella Academy back to the forefront of the spotlight. The police had raided the dean’s private quarters and found evidence of all his past crimes in the form of locks of hair and preserved lemon drops that had been in the victims mouths during their final moments. Experts had been brought in to try and understand the psychological reasoning behind everything he did. Was it just because he _could_? Was there a neurological problem that he was born with? Or was it because of the blonde babysitter that abused him as a kid, that just so happened to bribe him not to tell his parents with candy? Diego honestly didn’t sympathise. He was an abused kid, too. It was no excuse to hurt innocent people.   
  
Ramirez was convicted of all charges, not that it made a difference. He’d already been punished for his crimes. Nevertheless, his name would go down in history, which was exactly what the man wanted.   
  
Klaus had put his powers to good use in consoling the families of all the women who died, giving them a chance to say their goodbyes properly. Though he opted not to manifest them directly for obvious reasons. Except for Laurie. She was the exception, because he needed to say his goodbyes, too. That, and she was the only one that kept her previous appearance.   
  
Just as quickly as the storm came, it passed. The campus had been shut down for weeks due to the investigation and the hounding of the press. But once everything had settled, a new dean was elected and life returned to normal. The Hargreeves went back to attending classes like regular students who just so happened to have gained a wide reputation of being super-powered sleuths.   
  
  
”I can’t believe you convinced me to come with you to get your fucking tongue pierced,” Diego said, unlocking the door to their apartment. He’d almost fainted at the sight of the needle and had squeezed his eyes tightly shut during the entire process.   
  
“I wanted you to come hold my hand,” Klaus replied, talking relative fine for someone who now had a goddamn hole in his mouth. Not that he’d ever consider shutting up, even if it did cause him issue, because this was Klaus they were talking about.   
  
“I still think you’re nuts.”  
  
“Yeah, but imagine how _good_ kissing will be when it heals! No-no-no, imagine how good my _blowjobs_ will be! This will seriously up my game,” the Séance chirped. He made a beeline towards Number Twenty-Four’s hutch and retrieved his fur-baby from inside. “Do you mind getting me some ice chips? And some carrots for our child?”   
  
Diego made a noise of complaint but did exactly as asked. One bowl for Klaus. One bowl for Herr Fuzzy Socks. He took both over towards the couch where his unofficially official boyfriend now sat, fingers buried in the soft white fur of their pet bunny.   
  
“Thank you, knuddelbär.” The Séance plucked an ice chip and placed it in his mouth, tentatively crunching at it with his teeth. Meanwhile, Number Twenty-Four began munching on a slice of carrot.   
  
“Still hell bent on calling me that I see?” Diego half wanted to sigh as he joined his brother on the couch. Klaus had been determined to find a term of endearment that suited him for the last week, and seemed to have settled on this particularly embarrassing choice. “You sure you can’t pick something English? And less… I dunno… mushy?”   
  
“I’m embracing my probable German origins,” Klaus declared, voice muffled by the chunk of frozen water. “And you are my cuddle-bear, Di. Whether you like it or not.”   
  
The Kraken rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He couldn’t exactly argue that point. Especially as Klaus was _already_ snuggled up to him, which had caused Diego to reflexively curl his arm around his shoulders. He may as well have been considered a whipped stuffed toy at this point.   
  
“Hey, do you think we can finally start watching _Gossip Girl_?” Klaus asked. “You _still_ owe me, remember? Honestly, I’m beginning to think you’re worse at paying off your debts that I am.”   
  
“You really want to torture me today, don’t you?” Diego heaved a sigh, and went to get up, only to be prevented from doing so by Klaus, who had hold of his arm.   
  
“I got this,” he said. Diego relaxed back against the cushions and watched as his brother focused his gaze on the DVD rack and used his telekinetic powers to pull out the case with a level of caution akin to if he were playing Jenga. The Séance’s power level did tend to fluctuate at times. It was easier for him to throw a chair across the room than it was for him to perform a delicate task. With the case freed from its display, Klaus brought it over to himself, not yet having mastered the small intricacies of opening things.  
  
“You think you can manage to slot it in the DVD player without it turning into a death Frisbee?” Diego queried.   
  
“Guess we’ll find out,” Klaus replied. His concentration was palpable as he carefully moved the shimmering disc through the air towards the small opening. It took a few attempts for him to get his aim right, but he did indeed manage it, much to Diego’s displeasure. He would have preferred the death Frisbee. At least that would have had the potential to wreck the disc, ultimately getting him out of the deal.  
  
“You get to make a grand total of three complaints during our marathon, so use them wisely. Though if you use them to insult Nate, expect me to get bitchy. And if you fall asleep, I get to elbow you without repercussion, capiche?”  
  
“ _Fine_. Let’s just get this over with.”  
  
  
If there were two things Diego learnt from three hours of watching this snooze-fest of a show, it was one: to never make a bet with Klaus unless he was sure he could win it. And two: Klaus and a bowl full of ice was a recipe for mischief-making.  
  
It was during episode six that Diego felt something freezing cold slip down the neckline of his shirt and catapult down the bare skin of his chest.   
  
“Jesus!” He snapped back to reality like a overstretched elastic band and jumped to his feet, tugging at the fabric of his top till the offending chunk of ice was finally dislodged. “What the hell did you do that for?”  
  
“You looked like you were gonna fall asleep,” Klaus said, casually. Not that Diego couldn’t see the impish curl in the corner’s of his lips. The Kraken dug his hand in the bowl of fresh ice, ready to get his revenge, when there was a knock at the door. The pair looked at each other and Klaus shrugged, just as confused as he was.   
  
“Guess we better put this marathon on hold.” Diego was glad to have any excuse to stop watching that garbage. He didn’t think anything could be worse than listening to Klaus’ fanboy running commentary. That was at least, until he fount out who was waiting outside their apartment.   
  
“Dad?” Diego could scarcely believe his eyes. But there he was, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, monocle and all, standing right outside in the hallway in a striped suit.   
  
“Well, are you going to invite me in, Number Two? Or are you going to continue to stand there, gawking like a half-wit?” Diego closed his mouth and blankly stepped out of the way. Reginald marched inside with his chin pointed in the air and his signature disdain written all over his sharp features. “I see you live in a squalor. When was the last time either of you picked up a feather duster?”  
  
“Oh, hey Pops, didn’t know you made house calls. Or, you know, left your study in general,” Klaus said, plastering the fakest smile he could muster on his face.   
  
“I see you have still yet to learn proper manners, Number Four. Along with the nous to wear appropriate clothing.”  
  
“Well, I think I look dashing in this sparkly crop top, thank you very much.”  
  
“And what by the grace of the Gods is that in your mouth?” Reginald frowned at the sight of the emerald green gemstone that decorated Klaus’ tongue.  
  
“It’s my new piercing.”  
  
“It is abhorrent.”  
  
“Not sure you should be making judgement calls on body modifications, father dearest, considering it’s illegal to tattoo anyone under the age of sixteen. And yet here I sit with the tackiest looking umbrella on my wrist.”   
  
“Why is it you’re here?” Diego suddenly asked. The initial shock had worn off, to now be replaced by resentment. Having the bitter old man in the room just reminded him of how much he hated his guts.   
  
“I came to express my approval over your recent accomplishment,” Reginald said, gracefully reclining into the available armchair. “I had my doubts that you both would be able to uncover the mystery here, but it seems my choice to allow this escapade was fruitful.”  
  
Diego’s eye narrowed. “What are you talking about?”   
  
“I had being observing this particular college over the last decade due to the unexplained disappearances. I had the inkling of suspicion that something nefarious was going on. This was the perfect training simulation for Number Four to finally touch on his true potential and for you, Number Two, to hone your skills,” Reginald explained.   
  
“So you chose this place on purpose? Just to test us?” Diego felt his blood boil, and he tightened his hands into fists. So he was right all along; their father _did_ have ulterior motives for allowing them some freedom. He never had their best interest at heart. He didn’t care whether or not they succeeded in life in a regular fashion. All he cared about was their powers. Like he expected them to one day have to save the world.   
  
“You asked me to grant you permission to attend a college and I agreed to fund the endeavour, so long as I picked the location and you continued to practice using your powers. Those were the terms I remember you agreeing to.”  
  
“I didn’t agree to Klaus almost dying!” Diego snapped. To think the man that called himself their father had once again willingly endangered them, just for results.   
  
“Although that was an unfortunate turn of events, you were both well equipped to handle the situation,” Reginald said, as self-righteous as ever.   
  
Diego shook his head in indignation, rendered entirely speechless.   
  
“So what now? You plan on dragging us back to the Academy kicking and screaming?” Klaus questioned, voice laced with spite.   
  
“On the contrary. For whatever reason it may be, it seems this environment encourages positive development. So long as you continue to do as I asked, I will ensure that your time here is fully financed.”  
  
Diego was a breath away from telling Sir Reginald to stick his offer where the sun don’t shine, when Klaus unexpectedly grabbed his arm.   
  
“And by that, you mean our living expenses, too?” the Séance questioned.   
  
Reginald nodded. “Of course.”  
  
“Then we accept the conditions,” he declared, much to Diego’s confusion. “So, if these negotiations are complete, we’d like to get back to _studying_.”   
  
Sir Reginald made a low noise of disapproval at Klaus’ shooing gesture, but stood up regardless. He headed towards the entrance, pausing briefly in the doorway to look back at them both. “I will still require evidence of your progress every semester.”   
  
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Just to be as childish as possible, Klaus picked up Number Twenty-Four and used his paw to wave their father out.   
  
With the bitter old man gone, the conversation finally caught up to Diego and he turned towards his brother, wondering what the hell his angle was.   
  
“What are you looking at me like that for?” Klaus half-frowned.  
  
“It’s not like you to kiss Dad’s ass,” Diego replied. He wasn’t sure how to feel about continuing this arrangement, like they were still part of his property.   
  
“I wasn’t kissing his ass, Di, I was getting him off ours. Just think about it, if he keeps paying for our tuition and for our living expenses – which he blows way out of proportion, we can start saving. We’ll play along with his little game until we have enough money and then, BOOM!” Klaus made a dramatic impression of an explosion. “We’ll ditch him like last season’s ugly sweater.”  
  
“And you’re seriously okay with that arrangement? Using your powers?” Diego sat down beside his sibling, mulling over the idea. He never thought Klaus to be the one with the working braincell.   
  
“For a future with you, I’d do anything. Dye my hair neon green. Wear nothing but denim. Give up smoking.” Klaus’ list came to a halt, and he smiled sheepishly. “Well, maybe I wouldn’t do all those things. But the point is, for the first time ever I havea future that I actually feel _good_ about. And I don’t want to jeopardize that over that crusty old bastard.”  
  
“You’re right. We can cater to his whims for a few more years and then we can flip him the bird goodbye.”  
  
“Exactly! We can go anywhere we want. Travel the world! Skinny dip in the Caribbean, party like filthy animals in Brazil, get married by a priest dressed as Elvis in Vegas.”  
  
Diego raised his scarred eyebrow, amused by his brother’s chaotic energy. “Why are you so obsessed with getting married?”  
  
The Séances shrugged. “I’m not actually sure. Though maybe I just like the idea of having you all to myself. I’ve never really had that with anyone before. Most people I’ve been with cheat on me… or well, I cheat on them.”  
  
“Hm. Well, I wanna keep you all to myself, so you better not go cheating on me, ya hear?” the Kraken said. He reached up and cupped his brother’s face, gently brushing his thumbs over his delicate cheekbones.   
  
“Then you better marry me.” Klaus smirked. _That sly little shit._  
  
“I’ll think about it,” Diego muttered. It was so easy to give into his brother’s whims and fanciful dreams, because he really did just want to make him happy. And besides, tying the knot with Klaus wouldn’t exactly be the weirdest thing to happen to this family. They had a talking chimp as an extra caretaker. Their mother was a robot. And they both had superpowers.   
  
“Good. Because I want a ring. A nice one. With an obscenely fancy diamond. And remember, I _adore_ grand gestures. I’m talking orchestra and fireworks and hundreds of roses.”  
  
“You’re adorable,” Diego said, effectively cutting off Klaus’ rambling. “And ridiculous.”  
  
“I’ll take that combination,” the Séance giggled. Diego closed the space between their lips and was about to kiss him when Klaus pulled away. “New piercing, remember? Gonna have to put this make-out session on hold.”  
  
“Maybe not? There are plenty of other places I can give my attention.” Diego planted a tender kiss to his jawline instead, while his hand reached down to slip underneath the sequinned crop top.   
  
Klaus let out a low moan and grinned. “Good point. How about we return Herr Fuzzy Socks to his hutch and we take this to a bedroom?”  
  
“Sounds like a plan, baby.”   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I hope that finishing it in one hit makes up for it ^-^""
> 
> Thanks to everyone that stuck around, I appreciate it~


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